


The Stolen Path

by Fai7hl3ss



Series: The Stolen Path [1]
Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Rating May Change, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 65,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22948159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fai7hl3ss/pseuds/Fai7hl3ss
Summary: In the Colloquy of Kings, the rulers of the greatest kingdoms in Erdrea determined the life and training The Luminary would need before embarking on his epic journey.  More than a decade later, in the midst of his knight training in Heliodor, the Prince of Dundrasil encounters a thief, beginning a chain of events that ultimately leads to his destiny.---------A retelling of DQ:XI, where Dundrasil was never destroyed and the Hero lived out the childhood he was meant to have.
Relationships: Camus | Erik & Hero | Luminary, Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Hero | Luminary & Marutina | Jade (Dragon Quest XI)
Series: The Stolen Path [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662991
Comments: 44
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for giving my story a chance! This is dedicated to my friend Nikki, who was a constant source of encouragement from the beginning. This monster could not exist without her support.
> 
> To avoid confusion - the Hero's name in this *is* Luminary, because I liked to imagine everyone in the Hero's family has a sense of humor, even Irwin. Comments and critiques are always appreciated.

Typically, royalty wouldn’t be relegated to menial tasks such as guard duty, but Luminary had insisted that if he was in Heliodor specifically for Knight Training, he wasn’t going to be treated any differently than the other knights, prince or no. If King Carnelian weren’t so familiar with the stubbornness of Luminary’s father, he would have pressed the issue and made sure the boy stayed out of harm’s way. However, while the prince had the queen’s eyes, he surely inherited the king’s iron will, so they came to a begrudging agreement.

That was how Luminary ended up on the night patrol with the Captain of the Guard.

To many, Knight Captain Hendrik is as imposing as he is stern, but while Luminary certainly respects the man’s fighting prowess, he had seen Hendrik give Princess Jade a ride on his shoulders one too many times to truly be fearful of the knight. Still, they work well together, and Hendrik knows and appreciates how seriously Luminary takes his training, meaning the man’s company isn’t minded, but the prince still sees the King’s over-protectiveness as completely unwarranted.

They spend the majority of the patrol in silence, greeting citizens they pass, allowing the steady backdrop of Heliodorian night life to fill any remaining silence. It isn’t until the solo portion of their patrol, where Luminary surveys the noble sector alone when the peace finally shatters.

It shatters to the sound of a person smashing through a 2nd story window.

Luminary moves without thinking, rushing toward the source of the commotion with his hand on the hilt his sword, ready to draw it if necessary. Rounding into the alley between two homes, he spots the figure that came barreling through the window, hunched over on the ground with shards of broken glass surrounding him.

“Certainly not my finest moment,” the figure mutters to himself as he pushes himself off the ground, only slightly unsteady on his feet.

“Halt in the name of the King!” Luminary’s voice thunders down the alley and into the night, hoping the noise will be enough to call either Hendrik or the guards near the castle to his location. However, the man seems totally unfazed, busying himself with brushing any remaining shards off his outfit instead of paying Luminary any mind. He acts as though he’s the only one in the area, like Luminary is simply part of the scenery and not worth his attention.

 _Was this man serious?_ Luminary feels as though he’s completely off-balance, his mind frantically searching for a reason behind the man’s nonchalant behavior. Had he possibly not heard what he said? Luminary made sure he was loud enough when he announced his presence, so surely the man has to be aware there is a knight blocking his only escape path… but what if the man is deaf and couldn’t hear anything at all, or maybe this is his home, and he was thrown out the window – Luminary feels a nearly searing heat rush up his neck to inflame the sides of his face, and now is _definitely_ not the time for this and his runaway imagination.

Shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of his ridiculous train of thought, Luminary draws his sword and stands with a renewed determination in his eyes as he faces off against the thief. Lowering himself into a fighting stance, he keeps his voice steady as he addresses the man again. “Turn and face me slowly with your hands raised. There’s nowhere to escape from here.”

At first, the only response he receives is a low chuckle before the thief slowly turns his head to look at him. His eyes seem illuminated in the darkness, an electric blue standing out like twin lights, pinning Luminary in place. The thief’s stare feels more like an assessment, like a test he needs to pass before the thief can even be bothered to deal with him. A mixture of haughtiness and caution, the look causes the hair on the back of Luminary’s neck to rise and warning bells to scream ‘ _danger_ ’ in his mind. “You’re new. Figured I would know all the knights by now.” He quickly shifts his gaze as a clamor of armor slowly grows louder in the distance, signifying that at least the palace knights heard his shout. The thief clicks his tongue in annoyance. “Seems like introductions will have to wait until next time.”

Within a moment, the man appears in Luminary’s space, knife drawn and slashing forward in an attempt to disarm him. Luminary responds automatically, body moving with the training ingrained in time from his time with Master Pang. He didn’t expect to use it so soon, but considering the thief’s natural speed, he’s grateful she pushed him until the movements became second nature. Without thinking, Luminary deflects the knife and answers the attack with a swing of his own, forcing the thief to put space back between them. Even though the man’s face is almost completely covered by a black cloth, Luminary could swear the man is smirking at him.

“Not green then.” Darting forward again, the thief pulls a second knife from his hip, striking with both in quick succession. Luminary barely keeps up with his speed, ultimately changing to a defensive stance just to avoid the blades. He doesn’t want to seriously injure the man, but he needs to keep him here, to keep him busy at least until more knights come. Using his shield as a wall, he blocks whatever he cannot dodge, making sure to not give up any ground in the process.

As soon as Luminary can start making out the words of the approaching knights, he sees the look in the thief’s eyes transform from amusement to a cold seriousness. “Playtime is over, I guess.” Seeing his knives aiming lower than before, Luminary goes to protect his shins with his shield, and a moment later, he grunts, focusing all of his strength to hold himself up with his legs as the thief jumps off the angled shield, using the additional height to grab onto a nearby balcony. 

As Luminary rights himself, he stares wide eyed up at the thief, startled to see someone outside of Angri-La who can move with that level of agility. He watches the man scale the side of the building with a practiced grace, his jaw open with shock. After the man lifts himself up on the roof, he pulls the cloth away from his face and reveals a gleaming jewel from his pocket while flashing a toothy grin at Luminary. “We’ll have more fun next time, promise. Give my regards to Hendrik!” With a wave, he darts across the roof, disappearing from sight.

Rushing out of the alley, Luminary looks back at the mansion to see if he can determine which way the man had gone, but he vanished into the night. Behind him, the group of palace knights finally arrive, and Luminary can also hear Hendrik approaching with a small group of his own.

As Hendrik stalks up, the first group of knights salute, standing at attention and ready to move at his orders. “Sir, we’ve just arrived. Princ- Cadet Luminary was the first on the scene.” All of their attention shifts to Luminary, who gives one last glance to the alley beside house, but there is no trace of the thief with the exception of the window’s shattered glass.

Turning back to Hendrik, he sheathes his sword and gives his report. “A man crashed through the window of this mansion, though there were no sounds coming from inside the building beforehand, so I don’t believe anyone was home. I cornered him in the alley, and after a brief scuffle, he managed to escape by climbing the wall and running over the roof. Last I saw, he was heading toward Old Heliodor, but other than that, I couldn’t see where he went.”

“You three,” Hendrik says, pointing at the guards who followed him, “go into Old Heliodor and see if you can head off the thief or see where he went.” Hendrik turns his attention back to Luminary. “Did you manage to see what he looked like?”

Shaking his head, he tightens his hand into a fist. “Not well. He was dressed in black from head to toe, including a cape and gloves. Only his eyes were uncovered. They were blue. Other than that, he liked to talk. Said to give you his regards.”

Hendrik frowns, brows furrowing before he pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a huff of annoyance. “The Wolf… this is the fourth incident this month. You two, back to your posts. The rest of you join the other three. Comb through every back alleyway and tight path you can find to Old Heliodor. He’s getting bolder and striking closer to the castle with every heist.” Hendrik watches as his men follow their orders, fanning out to catch any possible trace of the thief. “We’ll have to tell His Majesty. This pattern is drawing him closer to the castle, as if he’s testing us before going for his true prize. Though I wish he would find others way to draw our attention rather than through copious amounts of property damage…”

Hendrik’s eyes quickly scan over Luminary, searching for any potential injuries. “You say you fought the man? Are you hurt?”  
  
Luminary shakes his head again, though the memory of his initial blunder sends another rush of heat to his cheeks. “I’m fine, though I had to focus more on defending myself than anything else. I wasn’t sure if I could have taken him down without putting him in mortal danger.”

Hendrik gives Luminary a look of utter shock and bewilderment at his statement. “You came out unscathed and were holding yourself back? I’ve had an entire team go after him once and had almost all of them come back with injuries that kept them off duty for months.” He gives Luminary another appraising look, for the first time understanding the severity of his training with Master Pang combined with his natural ability. “We will have to formally discuss this with Jasper and His Majesty, but would you be opposed to gearing your training to finding The Wolf? You are The Luminary, and that is a destiny that clearly takes precedence; however, you have a sheer prowess that our regular knights have not mastered.”

Luminary finds himself nodding before he has a chance to fully think it over. “You know I don’t want any special treatment just because I’m The Luminary. I’m here to learn as much as I can from you and Sir Jasper and help in any way that you deem necessary. While I’m here, I’m just another knight under your command, so use my skills as you see fit.”

“Then we will discuss the details with His Majesty and Jasper tomorrow morning. Finish your patrol of this area and then head back to the castle to rest. I will follow up with the men I’ve dispatched to see if we found a hint of The Wolf’s trail, though knowing him, it is unlikely…”

“Understood, Sir!” Luminary salutes Hendrik one last time, watching as a smirk threatens to crack the serious look on the Captain’s face.

“As you were, Your Highness.” Hendrik turns and heads toward Old Heliodor, failing to miss the mild glare Luminary shoots him.

Luminary only stands for a few moments watching Hendrik walk away before his eyes are drawn back to the alley. The shards of glass strewn on the ground glitter in the moonlight, reminding him of the thief’s eyes. 

* * *

By the third time he is knocked flat on his back, Luminary starts to get tired of the wind being kicked out of his lungs. He decides to stay down this time, staring up at the ceiling as he slowly reacquaints his body with air.

“You’re distracted.” He doesn’t have to see her face to know Jade is disappointed. She blocks his view of the ceiling and glares down at him anyway. “You haven’t been this bad at hand-to-hand since before you left to train at the temple. If you’re not feeling well, we could have just done this a different day.” Only Jade could manage to sound annoyed and concerned at the same time, and the familiarity he has with the tone brings a wry smile to his face.

Luminary forces himself to sit up and rubs the spot on his chest where her boot was beginning to create a permanent groove. “Sorry… I start my new training regimen with Sir Jasper tomorrow, and I’m not sure what to expect.” He blows a strand of hair away from his eyes, noting how messy his hair is getting with each fall. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything about what they have planned for me?”

“Nothing specific, though I did hear that my father took some persuading from Hendrik to even agree to this training. From what I’ve managed to learn, we’ve been having trouble with The Wolf for some time, but he’s been getting unusually bold recently. I’m sure I could knock him down a peg.” Jade cracks her knuckles at the idea, a sly smirk spreading across her face.

“I’m sure you could, though I’m not certain how ‘ladylike’ it would be for the Princess of Heliodor to go kicking cat burglars. It might damage your marriage prospects, after all.” The look of absolute disgust he earns from Jade is completely worth it in Luminary’s eyes. While he has a much harder time taking her on in a physical fight, he at least knows how to joust with her using only his words.

“Don’t remind me… I’m honestly amazed that I’ve managed to hold it off this long, and thank Yggdrasil our fathers haven’t tried to arrange a marriage between us.”

“A reasonable move politically, but…”

“Ew…”

His smile is tinged with amusement and fondness at her tone. “Exactly. I think for everyone it would be too much like siblings marrying.” He loves Jade, and she surely loves him, but everyone in both kingdoms knows that their bond is purely familial. They are both grateful and fortunate their neither of their parents ever pushed for anything more between them.

Jade smiles back warmly in return. “Try not to think about it. In any case, don’t worry about Jasper. Hendrik has been singing your praises for years, so Jasper knows he can push you to your limits without worry that you’ll break. Trust in his instruction and _don’t_ go to his lessons as distracted as you were today. I was practically _merciful_ compared to how he can be.”

“I’ve heard the stories… hence the distraction.” Which is only partially the truth if he wants to be honest with himself. He reaches up with his hand, sending Jade an expectant look.

She rolls her eyes before gripping his extended hand and pulling him up to his feet. Instead of letting him go, she holds him in place, staring at his face with a watchful and suspicious gaze. “I’m sure that was all there was to it, considering that you’ve known Jasper for years and know _exactly_ how he is with his trainees. What’s really on your mind?”

He should have known better than to try hiding anything from Jade, but that also meant acknowledging his rapidly growing obsession with the thief. He at least knows he can play off his preoccupation as focus on his new target to deflect any probing questions for now. Aside from that, Jade always is more away of her kingdom than people realize, so he won’t be surprised if she has intel worth sharing. It’s a gambit, but one he’s willing to take. “… How much have you heard about The Wolf?”

“Not as much as Hendrik, certainly, but from what I’ve heard, he’s be plaguing the knights for at least a few years.” She finally releases his hand and folds her arms over her chest in thought. “He was only dubbed ‘The Wolf’ within the last year because of the wolf symbol he started to wear on his back. It was how they managed to tie his M.O. to earlier heists. Before that, the knights assumed his work was done by a variety of bandits. The Wolf works by himself and leaves an obvious exit point, which I heard you saw firsthand. Chances are, he waited until he knew someone was nearby before leaving the building. Personally, I think he just likes being chased. Not much else is known about him, other than that.”

Luminary’s response is immediate, unfiltered, and too revealing - a bad habit he has when it’s just him and Jade. “His eyes are very, _very_ blue…” 

A combination of a few beats of silence and Jade’s incredulous look clues Luminary in that he actually voiced that thought aloud. His jaw works to form words, but only a strangled sound manages to escape his throat. When he sees Jade’s expression transform into a knowing smirk, he prays that the World Tree’s roots will reach down and strangle him. Unfortunately, he knows he isn’t that lucky.

“Well, that’s a pretty specific detail that was never mentioned,” she says with a deceptively playful lilt to her voice. Her smirk only widens as she watches a fierce blush crawl up the sides of Luminary’s face. With a soft coo, she leans down so they’re eye-level with each other, allowing her to readily take in every moment of his embarrassment. “Please, tell me _exactly_ how blue they are, little brother.”

Luminary hides his face in his hands, futilely hoping she doesn’t notice how his blush has taken over his whole face. “Please, let’s just forget I even know how to talk.”

She barks out a laugh and backs off, knowing when not to push his limits. “Only because you’ve already gotten a physical beating from me earlier, but by all means, any new observations you make about our blue-eyed Wolf problem, I am all ears.” Jade brushes a few loose strands of hair out of Luminary’s face when he finally lowers his hands. “C’mon. Today is one of your rare days off, so let Jasper and the Wolf be tomorrow’s problem.”

He doesn’t pout at Jade because that would be unbecoming of a royal in his station; however, it is a close thing. Still, he is thankful for the small mercy she’s showing him, especially when he knows her teasing can be so much worse. By the time he follows her out of the room, at least his blush begins to fade.

* * *

Training with Jasper starts with more reading than Luminary thought possible. Without a word of explanation, Jasper presents him with all the recorded documentation on The Wolf and his crimes to date. “I want these read, notated, and memorized by day’s end. We cannot make any meaningful progress until you understand your target. I do not require a summary when you are finished. This is not a school, and I am not your teacher. Prince or not, _The Luminary_ or not, I expect the tasks I assign to be completed to my satisfaction. If you are to learn from me, it will be through work.”

Luminary replies simply with a nod before looking through the files’ contents.

Needless to say, the man had amassed an impressive portfolio – from simple pick-pocketing to surprisingly elaborate heists, it is like reading a detailed timeline of how the thief honed his craft. While he used to operate with accomplices toward the start of his career, a lot of his partners either reformed or simply work as informants now. Previous attempts to press them for information yielded few results for even they knew little about his past or who he really is. Theirs was a trade where few asked questions, and none expect answers.

The reports confirm Hendrik’s suspicions – starting around the time he was named, The Wolf gradually started striking closer to the castle, aiming for more difficult targets with highly prized rarities. As he reads through the documents, Jasper goes over his most recent conquest, mapping out the locations and methodology The Wolf used. Considering that the Red Orb of Heliodor was a well-known artifact among historians and thieves alike, Jasper concludes it is the most likely ultimate target for the thief. Everything else has been practice.

Before the first training session is over, Luminary has already managed to skim through all the files, though he plans to comb through multiple times for more details. “The Red Orb is a logical target considering its importance and value, but if that truly is his objective, why is he aiming for the castle? I thought the Orb was safeguarded in the Kingsbarrow to the southeast.”

For a moment, Luminary thinks that Jasper actually manages to look impressed. “Typically, that is the case, though I should not be surprised that one of the royal family of Dundrasil knows about the royal treasures of other kingdoms. Due to the recent influx of monsters in the area and knowing it is such a valuable prize, I suggested to His Majesty to bring the Orb to castle until we apprehend the thief.”

“Increasing the defense of the Orb while forcing The Wolf’s hand to enter a terrain of your choosing where you presumably have the advantage, not to mention he would have a harder time actually locating the treasure. I imagine you’ve also limited the number of people who both know that the Orb is here as well as where it’s located, enough so The Wolf will undoubtedly know it’s here without finding out where specifically it is in the castle.”

“You suspect he already has an insider source in the castle?”

“Either that or you purposefully leaked the information of the Orb’s transfer to direct his focus and draw him here. Most likely, it’s both.”

Jasper’s smirk at his reasoning is answer enough.

“Seems like all of Hendrik’s praise about you was not completely unfounded. Your fighting capabilities are not in question here, though we will focus on increasing your agility since that is the largest issue everyone has when they have encountered him. Your primary objective will be to learn his patterns, assess how he thinks, and if possible, find out who and where he is _before_ he tries to steal the Orb. Failing that, you will assist me in setting the trap for him here.” Jasper pauses for a moment, giving Luminary time to take in his responsibilities as well as what is expected of him. He keeps a close eye on Luminary’s face, watching to see how his expression changes, silently assessing the man. “Well, Prince, do you think you are up to the task?”

Receiving this kind of personalized training is not what anyone had imagined when he was sent to Heliodor to learn how to be a proper knight. He was supposed to simply learn their code, their fighting style, and possibly some advanced military tactics from Hendrik and Jasper directly. This, however, is a completely different beast altogether, and while it isn’t as grand as fighting back a great evil that threatens to plunge the world into darkness like The Luminary of old, it is a challenge The King and his head knights deemed only he could handle. He’s sure even Erdwin had to start somewhere.

Steeling his gaze on Jasper, he gives the Vice Captain of the Guard a singular nod, knowing the man will be able to read the determination in his eyes.

The look he receives in return is knowing and borderline smug. It is the answer Jasper expected. “Good. The annual Summer Gala is due to start in a month’s time, and since that is when a large number of people will be admitted into the castle, it is the time we think The Wolf will strike. If we cannot find him before then, we must plan for his arrival and catch him in the act.

“In the meantime, you will have unlimited access to whatever files you need through the Knight’s Archive and the Royal Library, and my men have been instructed to aid you in any way possible, if you have questions. We will begin reviewing The Wolf’s methods at dawn.” Jasper’s tone dismisses him with a finality that is impossible to ignore, though if Luminary is being honest with himself, he’s more than a little eager to go through the documents with a closer eye, finding whatever hidden details and patterns he discern.

Organizing the files as quickly as possible, Luminary leaves Jasper’s office and heads to the castle’s library, hoping to find schematics of both the castle and Heliodor itself.

* * *

While not as expansive as the one back in Dundrasil, the Heliodor Royal Library is impressive in its own right. It isn’t strictly open to the public; however, anyone who has extended access to the castle is allowed to peruse its volumes, though not many take advantage of the opportunity. Luminary isn’t surprised to see only one other person in the library, though he isn’t expecting to find the man in the same section.

The man is looking at star charts… while dressed as a pirate.

There’s a lot to process here, and for a time, Luminary finds himself just staring, taking it all in. The man looks like he stepped straight out of a storybook, from the long coat with garish red and gold accents to the folded over boots that came up to his knees. He even had gold earrings and an eyepatch… _an eyepatch!_ The only thing he’s missing is the pirate hat, though the bandanna that covers most of his hair is a close enough substitute. Luminary almost wishes there was a parrot on his shoulder to truly complete the look.

“If you want to look at this when I’m done, I’ll leave it out for you. So, you don’t have to stare.” The man turns his head to look at Luminary with a bored expression. “Unless if you need something else from me…?”

“ _Pirate._ ”

They stare at each other in silence while Luminary secretly wishes he could go back in time and come to the library in the middle of the night when no one would possibly be awake. The pirate’s only visible eye widens, blinking slowly as the silence continues to stretch out between them.

And then he starts to laugh. It begins as a soft chuckle that quickly blooms into something short of a full-bellied laugh as though the man remembers that he’s in a library. By the time he manages to finally calm himself down, he’s simply smirking at Luminary, his gaze assessing in a way that makes the prince want to fidget.

“I’ve been called that a few times,” he says, amusement coloring his words. “Comes with the coat.”

Luminary swallows down his embarrassment and shallowly nods. “I can see where others might get the idea. But you can take your time. With the chart, I mean. I don’t need it.” At least his voice didn’t crack and betray him. He holds the reports closer to his chest and shuffles past the pirate, feeling the man’s eye stay on him. “Sorry. For disturbing you.”

The pirate goes back to his star chart, still smiling to himself. “‘S fine.”

As the sun sets, light quickly recedes from the library, soon making it too dark to read comfortably. Without a second thought, Luminary snaps his fingers, making the candles in their section come alight with a warm glow. He doesn’t usually like using his magic in such a frivolous way, but he couldn’t risk leaving Jasper’s files unattended, especially not with a possible ‘treasure hunter’ so close. Even with his logically sound reasons, he can still hear Jade’s snarky ‘ _S_ _howoff_ ’ comment in the back of his mind.

Luminary eventually scans the shelves, grabbing any scrolls he can find that show the layout of the city and the castle, whether it was simply a picture or a more detailed map. Anything that can help him figure out why The Wolf chose his specific targets and exit points, especially since the man has been too smart to be caught yet. His athleticism is surely a benefit, but it doesn’t explain how the Heliodorian knights haven’t been able to figure out his pattern or even gather a hint of who he is. He doesn’t think he’ll find all the answers he’s looking for here, but it’s certainly a start.

He manages to find a large map of the city, including the layout of Old Heliodor. It’s certainly dated, but all the major roads and back alleys are included, as well as some connections he didn’t think existed. Luminary lays out the map on a nearby table and looks around for something small he can use as markers so he doesn’t ruin the parchment. Even small game pieces would do the trick, but he’d need to go back to his room for something like that, but he’s not sure that he’s found everything he’s looking for here yet-

Luminary tenses up the moment he feels a chin on his shoulder and a puff of warm air against the side of his face. “This map must be pretty old because this house here is actually a restaurant now. It’s very good if homey food is fit to cross your pallet. I know nobles tend to be pretty… _picky_ about their cuisine.”

He takes a few moments to steady his breathing before responding, “I have a feeling I’m as picky over food as you are over personal space.” Luminary’s eyes shift over to the pirate who is still lingering over his shoulder. If his comment bothered the other man at all, he certainly didn’t show it. If anything, it seemed to amuse him if his easy smirk was anything to go by.

“You seemed like you were searching for something, so I figured I would at least point out something I knew was good.” Finally, the man pulls away, and Luminary feels like he can breathe easier again. Folding his arms over his chest, the man tilts his head to the side, giving Luminary an appraising look. “Anything I can possibly help with?”

“Not unless you happen to have a bundle of small rocks I can borrow.”

“That’s specific.”

With a lopsided grin and a half shrug, Luminary looks up at the pirate. “Don’t want to ruin the map.”

Reaching into his coat, the man pulls out a small bag and tosses it to Luminary. He catches it with one hand and a curious look on his face before peeking into the cloth bag. “Pearls? Who just carries around pearls?”

“ _Pirate_ , remember?”

The flush that appears on Luminary’s face is fierce and bright. He just prays the candlelight hides most of it from the pirate’s watchful eye. “Are you sure you don’t need these?”

“I was going to sell them, but there’s no rush.” The man scratches the back of his head, slightly shifting away. It’s the only moment where Luminary senses the man’s bravado isn’t fully present. “I’ll collect them from you later, and I will check that they’re all there. You seem trustworthy type, so I know you’ll be good for it.” The man glances out the window, noting how dark it’s gotten with a small frown on his face. He turns and starts heading toward the door with a casualness in his step that belies someone who is confident in their presence while knowing they’re somewhere they don’t belong.

“Can I at least know your name?” The pirate stops and looks back at Luminary over his shoulder, his stare causing him to slightly fumble with his words. “Otherwise I’ll just know you as ‘Pirate’ in my head…”

The grin the pirate flashes him is the first time Luminary actually sees both corners of his mouth curve up; however, he can’t shake the sensation that the smile is more predatory than anything else, like a shark flashing its teeth. “Erik.” With a wave, Erik turns away and continues to head out the door, not bothering to look back behind him. “See you around, Prince Luminary.”

Luminary clutches the bag of pearls in his hand, shock preventing him from saying anything in return. Not many people knew he was training in Heliodor, especially people outside of Dundrasil, and aside from his eyes, Luminary was always told that he looked plainer than most royalty, allowing him to blend in with the masses when he wasn’t in full regal attire. However, Erik managed to recognize him immediately, and still treated him like a _person_. Not a noble, not a prince, certainly not as the reincarnation of a mythical savior. Just. A _person_.

He was over-thinking this, and if he had questions, he could simply ask Erik when he came back to collect his treasure, which he probably ‘found’ because he was an actual pirat- okay, he really needs to let that thought go.

Taking a deep breath, he refocuses on the task at hand – mapping out the places where The Wolf has struck. He tries to put the mystery of Erik as much in the back of his mind as possible, especially the thought of how his predatory smile caused a knot to form in his stomach.

If Jade thought kicking the breath out of him was ‘taking it easy,’ Luminary doesn’t want to imagine what Jasper will do if he’s similarly distracted.

* * *

Old Heliodor is… not at all what Luminary expected. He isn’t surprised that there’s a class divide in Heliodor that is economic as well as physical. One does exist in Dundrasil and every other city he’s been to, after all. He just didn’t realize the divide in Heliodor was this drastic.

The entire section of the city was nothing more than a glorified alleyway with barely enough room for a few man-made shacks along the walls, let alone a full house. In fact, there is only building that could even be considered a house, though according to the locals, it’s theonlybar/inn down here. The number of children huddling together without parents and the destitute looking adults cause a gut-wrenching feeling in Luminary. Nothing like this exists in Dundrasil where poverty and homelessness have such a physical presence.

His fists clench, and he suppresses any other external reactions. This isn’t his city, and he certainly has no political sway here, but Luminary promises himself to at least broach the subject with Jade. If she doesn’t know of the issue, she certainly knows someone who can change it. For now, he pulls the hood lower over his face and heads toward the inn. He’s here to collect information, and as much as he wants to help every person he can, drawing unnecessary attention to himself here is something he desperately wants to avoid.

His search for The Wolf starts here – many of his earlier crimes either happened in Old Heliodor or close outside its boundaries. Luminary isn’t even sure what kind of clues he’s hoping to find, but he’s hoping something will help him find a hint to who The Wolf is. Based on what he’s managed to find out, if there’s anyone who knows anything about what happens in Old Heliodor, it’s the inn’s proprietor.

Pushing open the door to the inn, he’s greeted by a portly woman with a smile, though her eyes belie her caution. Considering how quiet the rest of her establishment is, Luminary guesses that she doesn’t get many guests during the daylight hours. She adjusts her glasses, giving him a once over before she deems that he doesn’t look too unsavory.

“Name’s Ruby. Anythin’ I can ‘elp you with, lad?” Her tone is casual, familiar, and just slightly cautious.

“I’m looking for a friend, actually. I know he used to pass through here often, though I’m not sure if he’s still around. He’s a bit shorter than me with very intense, blue eyes. Left-handed fellow. Very cheeky. It’s not a lot to go on, but if you’ve seen him, you’d know.” As he speaks, Luminary watches Ruby’s face closely for any signs of recognition, and although she does a decent job of schooling her expression, he notices how her eyes involuntarily widen at the comment about The Wolf’s eyes. He pushes down the small sense of vindication that flashes in him. At least he’s not the only one who took special note of that detail.

She tries to sound dismissive, but he can hear the edge of trepidation in her words. “I think I might ‘ave seen your friend. ‘e used to, yea. ‘Aven’t seen ‘im around recently, so can’t tell you where ‘e is now. If I see ‘im, I can tell ‘im you’re lookin’ for ‘im, if you want.” How Ruby manages to look both pleasant and skeptical at the same time, he’ll never understand. Still, he shakes his head, knowing she’s called his bluff for now.

“It’s fine, he’s not the type to stay still for long, so there’s no point in leaving a message. Thank you for your time.” He turns to leave, but the clicking sound of her tongue stops him.

Shaking her head, Ruby sighs to herself. “Keep bein’ that polite and you’ll be taken advantage of by even the children down ‘ere. Look, somehow, you’re ‘is type-”

“His _type?_ ”

“- so I know ‘e’ll appreciate me givin’ you a ‘int.” Ruby has his full attention, and she knows it. “Askin’ around won’t get you anywhere. ‘E’s done too much for the community for them to snitch now, which your knight friends should’ve told you, though wouldn’t be surprised if they left ‘his more ‘charitable’ deeds out. ‘e’s not from Heliodor, and ‘e doesn’t like to stick in one place ‘round ‘ere for too long. If there is anyone who knows ‘im better, would be Derk. Man runs a shop up in the noble sector, though whether ‘e talks to you is up to _‘im_. ‘s about all I’m willin’ to say.”

They eye each other warily, uncertain of the other’s motivations, yet Luminary knows it would be foolish to ignore this potential lead if it’s viable. Pulling the hood away from his face, he offers her a small hint of his identity in return. If she recognizes him, she doesn’t show it. “Why help me at all if you assume I’m with the knights?”

She offers half a shrug as a response. “I see what ‘e meant when ‘e mentioned you. Honest n’ determined look in your eyes. Like a ‘stormy sea,’ ‘e said.”

Luminary officially gives up on the blood staying out of his face when it comes to anything involving The Wolf. Her grin turns sharp.

Pulling the hood back over his head, he nods to Ruby in thanks before rushing out of the small inn. Luminary has mixed feelings about receiving the tip about Derk like this, but considering it’s the first real chance they have to find out more about who The Wolf is, he isn’t about to throw this opportunity away. 

At the very least, he knows about the man and has looked through his shop a few times. The merchant seemed like a decent fellow with no criminal ties, and he got along with all of his customers. However, he apparently knows more than he lets on.

Taking a last look around Old Heliodor, he ascends the stairs and heads towards Derk’s shop in the royal sector to see if he can learn something definitive to report back to Jasper. Luminary figures this excursion will be worth it if he even goes back to the castle with a more detailed physical description, but at the moment, everything depends on whether or not The Wolf allowed Derk to talk.

His gut tells him that The Wolf did.

As soon as he’s back in Heliodor proper, Luminary sheds his hood and pulls off his cloak to reveal his more formal attire. It isn’t enough to mark him as a royal, but it’ll be enough for people to mistake him for a simple noble. It’s easier this way to walk among the citizens of Heliodor – looking just proper enough to not be marked as an outside by the nobles but not royal enough for them to fawn over him either. When he meets up with Derk, he doesn’t want to be immediately recognized as either the Prince of Dundrasil or a Knight of Heliodor, though at this point, he won’t be surprised if Derk has been anticipating his arrival.

Derk’s home-turned-shop is just as he remembered – filled with seemingly random items and objects that range from the most common of healing and household trinkets to impressively crafted jewelry and armor. Luminary finds himself looking among the available weapons while Derk interacts with different customers in his store, now wanting to interrupt his business. Though he’s happy to see that Derk is just as he remembered him. Definitely of common origin, becoming a noble through his merchant expertise, but his easy and almost chummy demeanor makes it very simple for him to get along with almost anyone, regardless of status. As far as Luminary can tell, if there is anyone in the royal sector who minds that Derk now lives there, no one shows it.

Luminary eventually hears Derk come over and approach him after another couple leaves the shop. Time to get to work. “The craftsmanship of this sword is incredible. Where does it come from?” Luminary turns his head to look at the merchant, taking in his friendly smile that’s tinged with a touch of earnestness.

“That one came from Hotto, yea? Master smiths they got there wit’ the volcano nearby. Everythin’ from there I sell are one-of-a-kind originals. Won’t find anythin’ else like ‘em in the city.” Derk’s pride in his work shines through in his words, and it feels impossible to keep one’s guard up around him. “Got matchin’ armor, if yer lookin’ for a whole set.”

“It’s tempting, but I’ll have to think it over. Do you imagine it will still be here in a few days?”

“It’s pretty new, but who’s ta say with the Gala comin’ up? All us merchants are preparin’ for it, so if yer keen on the set, ya might want to get it before then. Ya lookin’ for yerself or are ya a collector?”

Luminary turns to look at Derk properly for the first time, and he sees the flash of recognition on his face. At least he won’t have to pretend why he’s here. “Usually, it’d be for myself, but I’m a collector today. I’ve heard you possibly have some information for me.” Looking around the shop, he’s relieved to find it empty. Whether Derk cleared out the customers intentionally or he managed to stumble in here during a quiet moment, Luminary isn’t sure. Whatever the reason, it works in his favor.

Derk looks over his shoulder and calls out to the woman Luminary saw upon entering the shop, drifting in and out from behind the counter to assist other customers. “Love, can ya watch the front for a tick? Got a customer ‘ere we were waitin’ for.”

The red headed woman glances at Luminary before nodding with understanding. “The man he mentioned might show up? This One understands and will manage the store for you.”

“Thanks, Love. Right, this way then,” Derk says as he leads Luminary to a parlor upstairs. 

This part of his house reminds him of every other noble’s house he’s seen, though Luminary does catch the many odds and ends that signify the couple’s more humble origins. Frankly, he thinks it gives the room more character and homier feel. Still, he waits until Derk seats himself and motions to a chair opposite of him before sitting.

“Did’ya want any tea? Haven’t had any proper guests in a while, but I should’a remembered this. I could get somethin’, if ya’ want-”

Luminary waves away the suggestion, not wanting to stress out his host. He was never one for formalities anyway. “You don’t have to worry about me, thank you. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Mah ol’ mucker mentioned ya might have questions about him. Mate did always enjoy the thrill of a job.” Derk’s smile is just as carefree as when Luminary was only a customer to him. It strikes Luminary as odd that this man is friends with such a notorious thief.

“Did you know him when he first started?”

“He came to Heliodor wit’ another thievin’ group, though he didn’t stay wit’ ‘em for long. Had a weird accent, they did, and dressed for summer even though it was winter at the time. Met him in Old Heliodor few years back, n’ I guess he felt bad for me. Never did understand why he wanted a partner like me, ‘cuz I was a _horrible_ thief. Turned out I was real good at sellin’ our loot after.” The establishment they’re in is a clear indicator of that.

Leaning forward, Luminary continues. “So what made you stop being The Wolf’s partner?”

“Well, it was before he was called that, but mah mate came up to me, n’ he said, ‘Derk, yer a good lad but a terrible thief.’ Gave me some money from his share n’ told me to open up an honest shop. He managed to sneak me past the guard, n’ I ran a stall on the main street ‘til I could buy this place. Wanted a better life for the misses, ya see.”

The more Luminary finds out about The Wolf’s personality, the more conflicting the information seems. The version of the thief he met is different from the one in the reports he read, and different still from the man Derk speaks of with such fondness. It’s difficult to make the images of him align. He can focus on the details later. Now, he’s trying to figure out information he can use at this moment. “Does any of your stock come from his jobs?”

“Nah, that was one of the agreements we made. All mah trade comes from legitimate sources, n’ he doesn’t come ‘round as often as he used to. I was surprised he came to tell me ‘bout you comin’, really. Usually just sends letters.”

Luminary nods as he takes this information in. There are so many questions he wants to ask, but he knows he needs to tread lightly here. He’s already figured out more than he expected from his talks with Ruby and Derk so far, but it’s not even close enough to creating a full picture of who The Wolf really is, let alone where to find him. Still, he needs to push for whatever he can. He just isn’t how much information Derk is willing to give.

“Since you used to work with him, I guess you would know why he goes after specific targets.”

“It changed wit’ each job, really. Sometimes, we had some bloke come to us for a job, others were for special objects he wanted or against people he just didn’t like. He doesn’t keep me updated, but I don’t think he’s doin’ his current job for anyone. He’s got his reasons, but he hasn’t shared ‘em wit’ me.” Derk studies Luminary for a few moments, as though he’s looking for something specific that Luminary can’t name. It’s similar to the assessing gaze Ruby gave him. “Always had his secrets, he did, but he’s different these past months. Whatever his target is, he seems obsessed wit’ it. Don’t know why he’s wantin’ ya on his trail, though.”

“That’s part of what I’m trying to figure out.” By all means, it doesn’t make sense why The Wolf is teasing the possibility of being caught by him so relentlessly, yet at the same time, Luminary has the distinct feeling that all of this won’t change a thing. He feels like he’s in a play, acting out his part with a single-minded dedication without knowing how the play will end. “Could you possibly tell me what he looks like or even his name?”

Derk shakes his head with a rueful smile, the answer Luminary honestly expected. “That I can’t do. Even if he said it was alright, mah mate sticks out too much to give that away. Ya are tryin’ to catch him, after all. He isn’t the most law abidin’ gent, but he’s a good man. I reckon he’s got a good reason for all this.”

This is the most Luminary thinks he’s going to be able to get from Derk, but at least he has a better idea about his mark now than he did before he sought out Ruby and Derk. Standing up from the plush chair, he gives Derk a polite nod. “Thank you for speaking with me, and I appreciate your honesty.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to lie to ya of all people. Ya The Luminary, ultimate force of good n’ all that, yea?” Derk points to the mark on the back of Luminary’s hand, the only blatant symbol of his divine destiny and royal heritage. “I figure that might have somethin’ do it wit’ it.”

Luminary wonders if Derk knew his role because he honestly recognized the mark when seldom do or because The Wolf told him. Either way, he has to report his findings to Jasper and see if there’s anything new they can pull from the information they’ve gathered. Looking down at his hand, he can faintly see the glow of Yggdrasil’s blessing.

“Just may be.”

* * *

Regardless of the hours and days Luminary spends pouring over the files and information he has access to, Luminary and Jasper don’t to find out more about The Wolf than what he managed to get from Ruby and Derk. Everything about his current target and fascination with Luminary is too atypical to compare to The Wolf’s normal pattern. It’s vexing in a way that keeps him going over his notes deep into the night, but at least he and Jasper were prepared for this very real possibility.

So they prepare for the Summer Gala.

Luminary can’t be part of the main security detail, not when he’s the visiting prince from a different kingdom. Still, he helps Jasper map out potential entry points to keep patrols on, in case if The Wolf tries something other than the front door, as well as the selection of knights to guard The Orb hidden within the King’s personal chambers. Only Jasper and Luminary will know The Orb’s exact location for added security, and the knights were informed of The Wolf’s suspected appearance. Without knowing what the man looks like, there’s little else they can do to prepare without canceling the Gala outright.

As the day of the Gala looms closer, Luminary feels the anticipation steadily growing within him, though he can’t say for sure if it’s because of the stress of the Gala or the idea of going against The Wolf again. Luminary can’t imagine that he would lay out so many clues and not present himself on purpose. Even though he advised for more guards around various entry points into the castle, if Luminary knows anything about The Wolf, he knows this – the thief is going to enter through the front door, and at least to the Prince of Dundrasil, he’ll make his presence known.

When he presented this likelihood to Jasper, the Knight Vice-Captain seemed completely unmoved, flippantly stating, “Then we use you as bait to lure him out,” as though it was part of his plan from the beginning. Knowing him, it probably was.

On the day of, Luminary spent the majority of the day preparing for that evening, though not in the way he would have preferred. He offered to assist Jasper with any last-minute planning, but the knight gave him an irritated side glance and told him to focus on his duties as Heir to Dundrasil. As the only current ambassador in Heliodor from the 2nd largest kingdom in the world, this is one of the few times where his princely duties overrides his training. Before now, his presence in Heliodor wasn’t even known to the public, so an official, _royal_ welcome was something he could no longer avoid.

Any alone time he has, he spends with Jade, knowing she feels the same way about formal functions that he does. It’s a way they’ve used to avoid the overly fussy servants that insist they primp for hours before the event, and with the added anxiousness over The Wolf’s appearance, Jade helps him feel more focused than he would have by himself…

… for a price.

“Your pacing will tear a hole in the floor if you don’t take a break and sit down. I’m sure your date tonight will go just fine,” she says as she lounges back on her bed, watching him slowly unravel before her.

“ _It’s not a date_ ,” he reminds her for the tenth time.

Rolling her eyes, she starts counting off on her fingers. “You’re dressed up for the occasion, there will be food and dancing, you’re subtly fidgeting with how you look, and you’re checking yourself out in a mirror every time you pass one. Please tell me how exactly, little brother, that you’re not experiencing pre-date jitters?” She can tell by the combination of a frustrated and flabbergasted look Luminary gives her that he doesn’t have a ready response. “I think you also haven’t specified whether your date is Erik or The Wolf… possibly both?”

“ _Neither_ , and I know we’re expecting The Wolf to show up, but _why_ would you even assume that Erik would come to this sort of thing?”

“Because there will be a lot of people with deep pockets here tonight, and as you so eloquently mentioned before, he’s a pirate. Sure, pick-pocketing might be beneath him, but is it really? Plus, he still hasn’t come to collect those pearls of his that you pretend aren’t currently in your pocket.” It took all of his willpower to prevent his hand from flying to his pocket to confirm her suspicions, though he couldn’t stop his hand from twitching – a tell he knows she can see. “Right, the point is it’ll be fine. All you have to do is stand around, shake hands with a lot of people that you won’t remember by the end of the night, and stop an infamous thief who is probably going to come and try to steal one of our oldest and most prized royal treasures. You’ll do great.”

Luminary levels Jade with one of his blankest stares before shaking his head laughing quietly to himself. It’s only because he’s known Jade for so long that he doesn’t take her teasing too seriously. Based on her smile, he knows she at least meant the last part. “Just know that every meaningless dance I get roped into, I expect to see you on the dance floor as well.”

“I promise no such thing, but I will steal you away if the requests become too many.”

“That’ll do.”

They end up spending the rest of the afternoon hiding out in Jade’s room, Luminary only leaving for a brief interval to meet with Jasper and confirm their strategy before the doors officially open to the public. When they finally leave for the Summer Gala, they stay near each other’s side, joining Hendrik and King Carnelian in the banquet hall to greet guests.

And then the long night begins.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kudos and comments! Currently, I have over 90k words of this story written so far, and I'll be posting chapters as I finish editing them. I hope to post about one chapter a week, so you can depend on somewhat regular updates for a while. I'm also continuing to write more, so I'm planning on finishing this by the time I catch up with what I've already written. Fingers crossed! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated~

By the time the Gala was in full swing, Luminary never wanted to shake anyone’s hand or bow ever again. His lower back ached, his hand felt numb, and his cheeks burned with the effort to keep his smile in place. A quick glance at Jade confirms that she’s experiencing the same ailments with just as much success hiding them. No wonder his grandfather always bemoaned such ‘needless ceremony.’ His words.

As soon as the last guest in what felt like a never-ending line finally paid their respects, both Jade and Luminary let out labored sighs of relief. King Carnelian, seated between them, merely chuckled. “Don’t hold yourselves here on my behalf. Consider your royal obligations fulfilled. Now go catch your breath before the younger nobles start forming another line to dance with you two.” Before he could even dismiss them with a wave, Jade and Luminary make a hasty retreat with different forms of ‘Yggdrasil’s Blessing’ muttered under their breaths.

Jade pulls Luminary to the most dimly lit corner of the hall without leaving it, both of them hoping to draw as little attention as possible.

“I swear, every year it gets worse. It’s like watching families parade the pride of their horses in front of me, hoping that my father and I will select their stud. It’s _embarrassing_.” Jade flips her ponytail over her shoulder, probably more relieved than Luminary to be away from the spotlight, if only for a few minutes.

Keeping his eyes on the crowd, Luminary shrugs and takes a wine glass from a nearby table. “At least you’ll have to marry a man and not a horse, but based on your options, you might be better off with a horse.” He can feel the scathing look she gives him without having to look over at her. He simply sips the wine.

“Don’t joke. Plus, knowing Gallopolis, they might offer me both their prince _and_ their best horse, though I already know the horse will be more reliable.”

“Well, Gallopolian horses are supposedly the best in the world. You could do worse, but I see what you mean with your lack of confidence in Prince Faris.” The Prince of Gallopolis was all gilt and glamour, boasting an ego that could fill a room well before he arrived. However, there was something about the man’s smile that struck Luminary as odd when they last met, as though all his actions were tinged with anxiety and a falsehood that he couldn’t pinpoint. Still, all of Gallopolis loved him, and he was constantly cited as a true example of a knight and a worthy heir to the throne. Hard to argue with an entire kingdom.

“I feel as though I would end up running both countries by myself, and if that’s going to be the case, then I’d rather stay unwed. But we came over here to get away from those problems for a minute. Tell me,” Jade says, and Luminary can hear the curl of mischievousness bleeding into her tone, “do you think you’ve spotted our Wolf yet?”

Luminary takes a brief moment to look over at her before turning his eyes back on the crowd, a frown tugging at his face. While it isn’t late in the evening, it certainly isn’t early either. Regardless, Luminary had assumed he would have seen _some_ sign of the thief before now, but the man was suspiciously absent. Before he lets the seed of doubt cloud his mind, he focuses back on Jade. There’s still time. He’ll show. “No, and _before you ask_ , I haven’t seen any sign of Erik either.”

“To be fair, you haven’t been looking in the right direction.” The low murmur caresses Luminary’s ear, and the action nearly makes him jump out of his skin. 

Without thinking, Luminary pulls away from the voice, turning around with his hand already charged with lightning magic as a reflex. He’s prepared to throw it, too, until he recognizes the man with the cocky smirk, head slightly tilted back to gaze up at him. He immediately neutralizes the magic.

Luminary had subconsciously noticed it before in the library, but now he can clearly see the slight height difference between them, just barely half a head. Not counting his hair, which is an impressive shade of blue, and _how_ had he not noticed that striking detail before- “Erik. I didn’t see you come in.” With his eyes flicking over to Jade, he points at Erik in a rushed an awkward gesture. “Jade, this the man I was telling you about. In the library-”

“Yes, Erik. You mentioned him once or twice.” She places herself between them in a way that cannot be seen as confrontational. Her tone is pleasant, but Luminary can tell that her guard is up, even though most wouldn’t be able to. Very few can sneak up on either one of them, but for Erik to have done it to _both_ of them at the same time is a feat he didn’t think was possible. “Charmed.” She offers her hand.

Holding her fingers gently, Erik kisses the back of her hand with a slight bow, displaying all the proper habits of a true gentleman. “The pleasure is mine, Your Highness. I apologize that I missed my chance to formally introduce myself before, but if you two are in the middle of something, I can always come back to collect later.” He releases her hand and offers Jade a smile that is more reserved, lacking the same smugness and mirth that he usually shows Luminary. If anything, the prince almost gets the sense that they’re sizing each other up, using all the pomp and circumstance of the occasion to avoid drawing attention to their standoff.

It takes a second, but once Luminary processes Erik’s words, he quickly reaches into his pocket and pulls out the bag of pearls he borrowed. “Right, collect. Here are your pearls back. They’re all in there, but I’m sure you still want to count.”

Erik takes a step back from Jade and looks at Luminary with surprise clear on his face. He reaches out and takes the bag, placing it into his own pocket without bothering to look inside. “Honestly wasn’t what I meant when I said I came to collect, but thanks.”

“You’re not going to count them?”

“Nah, I trust you,” Erik replies, and something about his face when says it makes Luminary feel like it’s the most honest thing Erik’s ever said.

“Well, this is _fascinating_.” Jade says, shattering the mood. Her words feel like a slap in the back, taking the breath from his lungs. For a moment, Luminary had honestly forgotten she was there. “In that case, I’m assuming the thing you meant to collect would be Prince Luminary himself?”

“Certainly a large part of it. Again, unless if you have some prior obligations.”

“Not to him, at the moment. Really, I should continue my duties as First Princess and socialize just a bit. Little brother, come give me a kiss for good luck.” Instead of giving her a bemused look like he wants to, Luminary plays along, turning to fully face Jade and place a kiss on her cheek. He feels her hands on his upper arms, holding him in place before he has a chance to pull away. Her whispered words are quick and full of the tension he detected from her earlier. “Something about him isn’t right. Keep your guard up. You know how to signal me.” Pulling back, she gives Luminary one of her warmest smiles, though he can still see the hidden caution in her eyes. In a normal voice, she says, “You still owe me a dance. Don’t forget.”

She walks away with and kiss and a wave and blends in with the crowd while always managing to have herself stand out. Control and poise. A master of her emotions. Luminary watches as she easily slides into her persona as crown princess, with all the obligatory posturing and mannerisms. Even so, he can still feel her rushed warning in his ears. She was right, and he is eternally grateful for her.

“She clearly got her presence from her dad,” Erik comments with a low whistle and a hint of both fear and awe in his tone.

“Only around people she doesn’t know. You should see her when she cuts loose sometime.” Luminary turns his head to look at Erik and immediately tries not to choke on his tongue. If the style of his outfit were from any other region Gallopolis, it would border on scandalous with the amount of revealed skin and flamboyant jewelry. Based on his bare arms and stomach, Luminary guesses a pirate’s life involves much more physical labor than he originally imagined. Splashes of gold and red compliment his features and are practically radiant against his outfit’s darker loose and flowing fabric. Even the ornaments encircling his wrists and fingers accent and echo the outfit’s overall design. The entire look works to highlight his hair and eyes, though the colors are still muted due to the dimly lit corner they’re in. Luminary forces himself not to stare as he pulls words through his unreasonably dry throat. “I didn’t figure you were from Gallopolis.”

“I’m not. Last time I passed through there, I picked this up because it was too hot to wear anything else. It also just happens to be the only somewhat formal outfit I have.” Erik looks Luminary directly in the eye and smirks widely at him. “It’s good to know you think I can pull it off.”

Thoughts are like tar in Luminary’s mind, though he tries his best to get them out anyway. “I don’t remember saying anything like that.”

“Didn’t have to. C’mon,” Erik says as he grasps one of Luminary’s hands. “Figure if we’re going to talk more, we might as well dance.” He drags the practically stumbling prince to the dance floor, ignoring how Luminary’s face becomes more and more red with each passing second. When they’re finally in line with the other dancers, Erik faces Luminary and holds their hands up while placing his free hand on the prince’s shoulder.

Luminary reaches blindly for something to say, not used to having a situation spin out of his control so quickly. He can’t even imagine what his mother and father would think if they saw the way he’s behaving. “You want me to lead?” Of the million questions he could ask, his brain settles on that one. Luminary feverishly ignores any stares they’re receiving. He hears the notes of the next song start to play, and they can’t hesitate for too much longer.

“We can’t have a commoner like me lead the Heir to the Throne of Dundrasil in a very public dance, now can we? Here.” Erik takes Luminary’s free hand and slips it under his cape, placing it against the smooth skin of his back. He honestly couldn’t say which one of them shudders at the touch. “In case you forgot.”

Focusing his mind to only process one thing at a time, Luminary starts moving in practiced steps, leading Erik easily across the dance floor. The muscle memory takes over. Other couples swirl past them as the song continues, but Luminary is far too occupied with putting his thoughts back in order to acknowledge them. When he finally feels a semblance of control again, he takes a deep breath and looks up at his partner. 

And then he feels the air leave his lungs altogether.

Brilliant blue eyes that he hasn’t been able to get out of his head for weeks are staring back at him, just as luminous as he remembers, and he can’t believe that he didn’t recognize him earlier. Even in the different lighting, it’s still a detail he should have noticed well before now. Though he can’t help but begrudgingly admit to himself that The Wolf is far more attractive than he expected or prepared for.

Only the many years of dancing lessons keep his feet moving to the rhythm of the song without pause, regardless of how disconnected from the world he currently feels. His hold on the thief tightens, unconsciously pulling him closer as he squeezes his hand in a near vice grip. When he finally pulls himself together, Luminary glares at Erik and harshly whispers, “So you’ve been toying with me the whole time. What are you trying to pull?”

“I was being honest before when I said I came here to collect. Never said it was the Red Orb of Heliodor.” There’s still a hint of smugness in his eyes and a slight curve to his lips, but his tone isn’t mocking. It has an edge of seriousness that keeps Luminary from immediately arresting him and dragging the thief to Jasper. The man must know he’s risking much by revealing himself like this. It fits with his motif, but Luminary just doesn’t understand _why_. “You’re a very accomplished dancer, but you probably don’t want to look at me like I’m worth less than the dirt beneath your shoe. It draws unwanted attention.”

Luminary’s glare hardens. “Tell me why I shouldn’t drag you to the dungeon for your crimes _right now_.”

“Because you want to know what I’m actually after and why I bothered to lead you directly to me, especially considering I’ve avoided capture for months. If you throw me to your Captains of the Guard, then you’ll never find out.”

“ _Fine_. Why me?”

“First, pretend like you’re actually enjoying yourself before your warrior princess decides to make a scene.”

Peering over Erik’s shoulder, Luminary sees Jade watching them intensely with a practiced blank stare. It’s enough to not rouse suspicion among any of the guards or guests, but now that he’s aware of it, Luminary feels the look almost like a physical brand. She’s waiting for his signal, and he’s sorely tempted to give it. However, there’s too much he doesn’t understand yet, and if the only way to get The Wolf to talk is by playing nice for a bit longer, he’ll do it.

The prince closes his eyes and centers himself. Then he shifts his hold on the thief while they dance, turning it into less of a death grip and more of an intimate embrace that practically brings their chests flush against each other. Opening his eyes to look down at Erik, he softens his gaze to one meant for a close friend or lover, seeming as though the man in his arms is the only person in the world that holds his attention.

He doesn’t miss it for a moment when Erik’s eyes widen at the change, and a very faint hue of red colors his cheeks. “That works.”

“So,” Luminary starts softly, “let’s try this again. If not for The Orb, what are you here for?”

“The Orb is involved, but I’m here for you. A man who called himself The Seer told me that The Luminary would be coming to Heliodor. I was to aid him on his journey, and to do that, I needed The Red Orb.” Erik’s gaze shifts away to the side, and his next words are more of a mumble to himself than to Luminary. “Said I would find forgiveness, if I did.”

“If that’s true, then why all the thefts and property damage? If you had just come to me directly, I would have believed you.”

“I was already a thief and on the Heliodorian knights wanted list long before you showed up. I can’t exactly walk up to the castle and request an audience with a foreign Crown Prince, can I? So I figured I would use my ‘fame’ to draw you out _and_ get the Orb put in a place where you were. Two birds and all that.”

“You literally walked into the castle library and talked to me. Why didn’t you just tell me then?”

“Because I didn’t know you were the new knight in the alley. I was already in the castle trying to find out where The Orb was transferred to and whether or not you had arrived to Heliodor yet. I was going to mention it then, but when I looked down and saw what I could only assume was Jasper’s lovingly crafted scrapbook of my history, I figured you wouldn’t be so keen to listen.”

“So you sent me on a goose chase.”

“You mean let my friends meet you and tell me what they think? Yes.”

“And then you ambush me in public.”

“You seemed far too polite to cause a scene in someone else’s kingdom. That’s a game I’m glad panned out.” Luminary gives him a blank stare in return, slightly hating that Erik was right.

“Regardless, as far as I know, I’m not going on any journey yet. I just started my official training here, and that’s supposed to last at least another couple years before I’m heading back to Dundrasil.”

“I was only told to trust and aid The Luminary. I can’t offer you much more than that right now.”

Luminary looks at Erik’s face for any hint of deception, but all he can see is honesty and an earnestness he isn’t expecting. The man doesn’t seem like he’s lying, but he doesn’t want to mindlessly accept Erik’s words at face value either. He decides to run a test then to see how genuine this pirate is. “Let’s make a deal - you leave here. _N_ _ow_. Without stealing anything, _and_ you stop burgling people’s houses. _If_ I am sent on any sort of journey, I will contact you through Derk. Agreed?”

Erik eyes him suspiciously. “So you want me to just sit patiently while I wait for you to come calling like a useless noble woman?”

“Not how I would have phrased it, but you get the idea.”

“And how do I even know that you will keep your end of the bargain?”

Finally, Luminary’s smile grows more cheeky than anything, feeling for once that he has some sort of upper hand on the thief. “Because I’m The Luminary.”

Erik simply blinks, stupefied by Luminary’s declaration for a moment before he lets out a hearty laugh. “I guess so. Fine. I’ll be a good boy and wait until His Highness summons me, and I will refrain lifting any valuables that these kind people around us surely won’t miss.” Seeing that the agreement is made and there’s no reason to linger, he starts to pull away. Luminary’s tightening grip prevents his movement. Erik raises his eyebrow at the prince in response and isn’t surprised at all to find a darkening blush flooding Luminary’s cheeks.

Luminary curses at himself for being unable to look Erik directly in the eye. “You can at least stay until the song is over…”

Erik settles back into Luminary’s hold. Without another word between them, they continue locked in their dance, swaying with the music until the song gradually fades. It’s a surreal period in Luminary’s mind where, for a short while, neither of them think about the different events that lead them here or how a flimsy promise keeps their destinies tied together. It’s just… _them_. When the music finally stops, his hands slip away from Erik, a part of him already missing Erik’s warmth against his palms.

Erik gives him one last appraising look, as though trying to memorize Luminary’s features. “You trust way too easily, Prince, but I’ll prove I’m worth it.”

Even though Luminary watches him as he goes, he’s still surprised at how quickly and quietly Erik manages to disappear into the crowd. It feels to him as though the entire experience happened in a dream, though the people and sounds around him feel completely real. Luminary moves away from the dance floor, noting how another couple smoothly takes his place.

He isn’t surprised when Jade appears beside him, saying nothing at first as they watch the dancers in silence. It’s enough just to have her there with him, but he knows he can’t stay silent forever. He keeps his voice quiet, only allowing her to hear his words.

“Erik is The Wolf.” He can see her move in response to his statement, but his eyes stay firmly on the dance floor. The fact that she doesn’t actually say anything in response encourages him to keep talking. “He said he wasn’t here for The Orb, but rather he came to talk to me.”

“Are you going to inform Jasper and Hendrik?” Her voice is equally hushed, tight with the effort of keeping her emotions in check.

This is what he has been truly struggling with ever since he let Erik go. By all logical means, he should. Not only is it his duty as a knight, but Erik has already proven and admitted he was the one who performed those thefts. It would be practically dishonorable to let him go free. However… Luminary turns his head to see Jade watching him carefully. “I made him promise to leave and not steal anything.”

He’s not surprised by Jade’s incredulous look.

“And he just agreed?” Luminary nods. “And you believed him?” He nods again. “ _Luminary_ …”

“I know, it sounds crazy-”

With an exasperated sigh, Jade grabs his wrist and starts dragging him from the banquet hall, propriety be damned. “I can’t scold you properly here. It’ll make too much of a scene.”

Luminary knows it’s a bit late for that considering the number of people that watch them leave, but he doesn’t put up any resistance. She yanks him into the side garden, the closest place where they know they won’t be disturbed, and when Jade finally faces him to reveal how crazy she thinks he is, Luminary can only think how he’s grateful for the night to hide the majority of the confusion and borderline rage in her expression.

“You trust _way_ too easily, little brother-”

“He actually said the same thing.”

“- and I cannot _begin_ to understand why he would just go along with it. You do realize how idiotic this all sounds, right?”

“I know, but he said a Seer told him to come talk to me-”

“Yes, because _that_ makes this totally believable.”

“- and that he’s supposed to aid me on my journey.”

“A journey that you are not on.”

“That’s what I told him. So I promised that I would send for him as soon as this so-called journey starts.”

“And he believed you.”

“And I believed him, yes. So he left.”

“Just like that.”

“Pretty much.”

They stare at each other in silence before Jade let’s out a loud groan of frustration. “I don’t even know where to _begin_ with this! But… ugh. You are a decent judge of character. So if you really think...” Jade looks at Luminary’s patient smile as she’s processing all of this, only mildly annoyed by his expression, “if you really _believe_ that Erik will keep his end of the bargain, then fine. _Fine._ I’ll stay quiet, but the _moment_ he commits another crime, you are telling Jasper and Hendrik _and_ my father _everything_ , and I will throw you both in the dungeon for wasting my time, understand?”

“Of course, big sister.”

“You get your cheeky, little smirk out of here-” She pauses as soon as they hear the side door open and two figures push their way into the garden.

“Veronica, we really shouldn’t just barge in on their conversation…” The first voice is light and hesitant, lingering by the door. The light from the castle turns her into a silhouette, obscuring her features.

“You just want to get back to the dessert table. I gave you plenty of time to enjoy all the sweets you wanted at this thing, but now it’s time to actually do what we came here for. I’m sure whatever they’re talking about is less important than our mission. Now stop hiding in the doorway and come here.” The woman named Veronica marches right up to Jade and Luminary. She peers closely at the prince, glancing down at his hand before nodding to herself. “Yup, he’s the one. Serena, get over here!”

“Can we help you?” Jade asks cautiously, unsure of what to make of the girls that stand before them. Two identical faces are staring at Luminary as though they both finally found what they’ve been long searching for, something extraordinary. Before she can say another word, the twins lower themselves to one knee, place one hand above their hearts, and press the other palms together. Then, they begin to speak in unison, voices sounding together as one in the night.

“ _We of Arboria,_

_Swear to protect you._

_While we live, none shall defeat you._ ”

They rise to their feet, Serena with a soft smile on her face while Veronica wears a wide, cocky grin. “Nice to finally meet you, Prince Luminary! It’s time to fulfill your destiny.”

* * *

The twins meet with King Carnelian, Luminary, and Jade the next morning. The King sits upon the throne, flanked by Jade and Luminary, as the twins formally introduce themselves and their mission. Everyone in the room knew this moment would eventually come, but none of them expected it would be so soon.

Veronica is the one to provide most of the details. “Our Sage in Arboria recently received a vision of The Luminary in Heliodor holding The Red Orb, surrounded by five colored lights, the same colors as the other Legendary Orbs. Within each light stood a person, though he could only see their shadows. From the descriptions he was able to give, it seems like Princess Jade and your famed knight Sir Hendrik are supposed to come with us.” Veronica and Serena wait patiently as the three royals process the information. Veronica watches Luminary’s face for any sort of reaction and is caught off guard by easily he’s taking everything in stride. Even for The Luminary, she expected a bigger reaction.

King Carnelian keeps his eyes closed, only opening them when he speaks. “It is the destiny for The Luminary to go on a journey and fight evil, but you are saying one of my top knights and my _only child_ need to risk themselves on this dangerous quest as well?” His gaze hardens on the twins.

Serena can see the agitation rising in her sister, so she places a gentle hand on her shoulder and steps forward to answer the King’s question. “Your Majesty, we understand that we are requesting much of you with little to go on; however, I am sure you’ve heard of the dramatic increase of monsters outside of your kingdom. This phenomenon is happening all over Erdrea, even in the First Forest beneath Yggdrasil. The dark forces are starting to gather, and we fear this is a heralding of the Calamity’s return. When the Sage told us of his vision, we knew it was time to seek out The Luminary.

“Much like when Erdwin originally went on his quest, The Luminary does not travel alone. My sister Veronica and I are the reincarnated spirit of the sage Serenica, and we will be with Luminary and those who travel with him every step of the way. If our Sage saw Princess Jade and Sir Hendrik as well, they will undoubtedly have a part to play in our travels.”

“I have to ask,” Luminary cuts in, dissipating some of the tension in the room. “was there anyone with a sort of… spiky-haired silhouette mentioned in your Sage’s vision?”

Serena blinks at Luminary, surprised by his specificity of his question. “Actually... yes. I do believe there was. He was within the blue light beside you. Is it someone you know?”

Luminary and Jade share a look, Jade with a sense of shock and Luminary with a tinge of vindication.

He turns back to the twins. “Possibly. Where are we going on this journey?”

“To Yggdrasil herself,” Veronica says. “She will be able to provide The Luminary with the means to fight off the dark forces, but to do that, we will need the different colored Orbs to open a path to Yggdrasil directly.”

King Carnelian sits in silence as he absorbs all of this information. He had anticipated Luminary leaving before his training was finished, but he never anticipated he would be taking so much with him. Still, he and the other kings had declared to aid The Luminary in any way possible once it was time to claim his birthright, and he isn’t about to go back on his word. Finally, he’s starting to understand the heavy feeling King Irwin must has felt the first time he had to send Luminary to Angri-La.

He signals one of the guards standing watch in the throne room. “Summon Sir Hendrik and Sir Jasper at once.” His attention focuses again on Veronica and Serena. “Heliodor will provide you with whatever you need for this journey, including The Red Orb. When you set out, head for Cobblestone to the south. Supposedly, there is an explorer there named Chalky who might be able to provide some guidance on how to travel to Gallopolis faster than by boat. The King of Gallopolis should have a royal treasure called The Rainbough. It’s said to be a branch of Yggdrasil, so it may aid you in some way. I will send word ahead so he knows to expect you.”

The twins thank the king for his hospitality and guidance, relief clear on their features. Behind them, the doors to the throne room open, revealing the Captains of the Knights. Hendrik and Jasper move forward to kneel before their liege.

“You summoned us, Your Majesty?” Hendrik asks, head still bowed.

“Arise. Sir Hendrik, I have a mission for you.” King Carnelian waits until both men are standing before revealing their tasks. “The time for Prince Luminary to set out on his quest has arrived sooner than we thought. You will accompany him, these messengers from Arboria, and Princess Jade on this journey, assisting and protecting them. Sir Jasper, you will be the acting Captain of the Guard in Sir Hendrik’s absence. Inform me as soon as you have chosen your second-in-command.”

“Am I taking a force of knights with me as well?”

“A larger group will attract too much attention and slow you down,” Jasper cuts in. “You’re better off with your small number and hiding your identities, if possible.”

“I agree,” says Jade. “It won’t do us any good to have an entourage that essentially announces our royal lineage. We’ll also want to keep our packs light, so their weight doesn’t bog us down. We can restock as needed in the cities and villages we travel to.”

“Since this journey will most likely take you all over Erdrea, I also suggest stopping in Puerto Valor to see Don Rodrigo. He helped train Sir Hendrik and could possibly have information that would be beneficial to you.”

“If we’re planning to go to Puerto Valor, then we should also take time to see my grandfather.” Luminary waits for the inevitable question that is going to follow.

Oddly enough, it is King Carnelian that asks. “I know he mentioned wanting to travel there in his retirement a few years back, but why would Lord Robert still be there?”

Luminary answers the question without hesitation. “The Bunny Girls at the casino, Your Majesty.”

The entire room fills with an awkward silence that is only broken by a stray cough and a murmur under Jade’s breath that sounds suspiciously like, ‘ _Perverted old man_.’ Eventually, King Carnelian just sighs and hangs his head with a small smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t know why I expected a different answer. Regardless, his knowledge could still prove invaluable to you.” Standing up from his throne, the King looks down at both of his knights. “Unless if there is any other pressing business, I suggest you all spend your time preparing for your journey. I will instruct the kitchen to make enough provisions to last you to Cobblestone. You should find their hospitality more than accommodating there.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Hendrik and Jasper say in unison with a bow before leaving to inform the knights of the upcoming change.

Jade walks away from the throne to speak to Serena and Veronica, expecting Luminary to go with her. Even though he does, she’s surprised to see him continue past them with a polite nod before heading out toward the exit. “Little brother, where do you think you’re going?”

With a wry smile, Luminary waves at Jade as he keeps walking out the door. “We’re going on a journey, and I have a promise to keep.”

* * *

Luminary spends the majority of the afternoon with Veronica and Serena, getting to know the twins as well as he can before they leave within the next few days. There are a couple more times where Serena tries to get more information from Luminary about their potential additional travel companion, but he provides few details. He doesn’t like keeping secrets from people he’ll be traveling with, but he also doesn’t want Jasper getting a hint of who Erik really is. He can’t exactly help with their journey if he’s busy locked up in Heliodor’s dungeon.

That night he spends alone in his room, drafting a letter to his parents back in Dundrasil. It’s been nearly a decade since he spent time living in his kingdom, and there are moments where he misses Dundrasil terribly. Still, he has always understood the importance of his birthright, though more and more, he feels the weight of it on his life. His journey hasn’t even truly begun, and he wonders whether he will be able to rise to the challenge. However, he doesn’t voice his fears in his letter, wanting to not unnecessarily worry his family. At least he’ll be with Jade, and he knows his parents will take comfort in that. Knowing them, they will also send word to his grandfather so he knows to expect him.

“I gotta say, you royals have lovely penmanship.”

It’s pure luck that prevents Luminary from spilling ink all over his letter. Wide-eyed, he turns toward the intruder, only marginally unsurprised to see Erik standing behind him, especially since his room is on the second story of the castle. His heart feels like it’s beating out of his chest.

Erik’s smile is genuinely apologetic, as though he honestly forgot how quiet he can be. “I got your message.”

Luminary takes a slow breath to steady his heartbeat. “I can see that.” He moves his letter and inkwell to the side, and Erik takes their place on his desk.

“Honestly, I was anticipating not hearing anything for months, wondering how I was gonna spend my time. I didn’t figure you would miss me so much after less than a full day.”

“At least I didn’t hear about anyone missing any valuables after last night, so I guess we’re both surprised by this turn of events.”

Erik nods and crosses his legs, taking his time to look around Luminary’s temporary room. Unlike his extravagant outfits from before, the man is dressed extremely modestly and common, all earth tones and common fabrics, which makes him standout all the more in this regal setting. “I gave you my word. I figured it wouldn’t be smart to go back on it immediately.”

Luminary gives him a cautious and calculating stare. “Implying that you would go back on it eventually.” Erik’s silence causes Luminary to frown. “You’re making it very difficult to trust you.”

“I would think that my time as a thief would do that, but don’t worry. I don’t want to hinder The Luminary in any way, and I was told to assist you.” Erik leans closer to Luminary so the prince can see the seriousness in his expression. “I’ve spent over a year preparing for your arrival. So long as you’ll have me, I’ll stay by your side.”

Luminary’s breath catches in his throat as he stares into Erik’s eyes, caught off guard by the intensity and conviction in his gaze. He technically knows Erik just as well as he knows Veronica and Serena, but he feels a deeper connection here, regardless of the thread of mistrust between them. He knows he might be deluding himself with his desire to trust the thief, especially since he knows there are still numerous secrets between them, but he can’t deny the impulse to just make that leap of faith.

They hold each other’s gaze in silence, and Luminary can see how Erik’s stare, while steady, starts to color with signs of unease and desperation, though he can’t imagine what is causing them. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Luminary gives Erik a tiny smile, watching the relief flood into his features. “I don’t want to constantly be suspicious of the people I travel with, and you’ve clearly tried to earn my good faith. Just… the ‘no stealing from now on’ rule is still in effect.”

Erik chuckles. “I can respect that.” The silence is more comfortable between them now, akin to what it was like when they met in the library.

“It helps that you were in a sage’s prophecy.” Erik’s reaction shows more surprise than Luminary expects, though he doesn’t question him on it. Then again, Luminary is a bit more used to being a part of prophecies and visions than the average person. He imagines Serena and Veronica feel the same way.

“If you knew about that, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t find out until last night. You can go talk to the twins who told me about it, if you want, or you can just ask them on the road. I’m sure we’ll all need stuff to talk about to kill time.”

Erik’s eyebrows shoot up in alarm. “How many people are coming with us?”

“Six of us altogether.” Keeping a close eye on Erik’s reaction, Luminary devilishly smirks at him. “Jade and Hendrik are coming with us.”

A beat of silence.

Hopping off the desk, Erik starts strolling to the window. “Well, it seems like you’ll be perfectly fine with four body guards, so maybe you don’t need me after all-” Erik stops completely and looks over his shoulder when he hears the prince laughing at him.

“I’ll need you, don’t worry.” Luminary’s smile is warm and amused, and it finally feels like the tension in the air is starting to lift. “And it seems like we might pick up more people along the way, but there will always be a place for you.”

“Absolutely unreal…” The words are barely whispered, and Luminary doesn’t exactly catch them. Before he gets a chance to ask, Erik waves him off and leans against the window frame. “Never mind; it’s not important. Anyway, since we’re not leaving for a couple days, I’ll meet up with you guys just outside of town instead of hanging around here. There are loose ends I need to wrap up before we leave.”

Luminary stands from his desk, making his way across the room to the thief. “Of course. I guess you’ll make your surprise entrance like normal?”

“Probably not. Last thing I need is the Princess or the Captain trying to knock my lights out because I show up unannounced.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“In that case,” Erik says as he starts climbing out the window he came through, a window that Luminary is positive was locked from the inside, “I’m looking forward to working with you… partner.”

It’s surprisingly easy to smile around Erik, and Luminary finds himself doing it more and more often. “Likewise, partner.”

With the flash of a grin, the thief disappears out Luminary’s window and into the night.

* * *

When they finally leave a few days later, it is with little fanfare. King Carnelian gives his official farewell in the throne room, wanting to avoid a massive crowd swarming the city gate. However, they did give the King and Jade a few private minutes to say goodbye. Luminary had something similar back in Dundrasil when he originally left for Angri-La, and for a brief moment, the ache and longing to see his parents again is strong. He holds the feeling in, knowing their group will most likely need to travel to the Dundrasil for something on their quest. He’ll have to patiently wait until then.

In order to keep a low profile, Jade, Hendrik, and Luminary abandoned any regal or formal attire identifying them. For all intents and purposes, as the group leaves the castle, they look like nothing more than a collection of rag-tag adventures, though Hendrik probably could hold himself less like a fully trained knight. Regardless, as they exit the city, no one bothers to give them a second glance.

Just past the Heliodor’s city gate at the end of the bridge stands Erik, causally leaning against a post with a small bag at his feet as he stares off into the distance, the wind gently ruffling his hair. By now, Luminary knows that Erik is well aware of their presence, though he waits until Luminary stops a few feet away from him before he finally turns toward them. Erik’s expression is more guarded than Luminary is used to, but he notices that Erik is assessing everyone but him, though he has a small smirk specifically for Jade.

“Is this the man you were talking about before?” Serena asks, completely oblivious to any tension in the air. She smiles pleasantly at Erik, and Luminary can already tell that she is going to be a major force in keeping the peace for at least the beginning of this journey.

“Name’s Erik, though I’m sure we can go through all our introductions on the way.” Picking up his bag, he focuses his attention on Luminary. “Well, partner, where are we heading?”

“Cobblestone. We’ll be looking for a man named Chalky, and hopefully, he’ll have a fast way for us to get to Gallopolis.”

“That old adventurer? Makes sense – if anyone around here would know, it would be him. Should only take a couple days to get there, but there’s a campsite along the way we can stay at for the night.”

“You certainly are a bundle of knowledge.” Veronica has her hands on her hips as she gives Erik a once over. “I don’t suppose you happen to know where the other Orbs are?”

“Veronica!” Serena gasps, her tone a mixture of surprise and admonishment.

“What? Doesn’t hurt to ask.”

“I don’t keep a treasure map with their locations marked off, no,” Erik says slowly, now completely unsure of how to react to the twins.

“You don’t?” Jade asks with sarcasm in her tone. “Well, that makes you a lousy excuse for a pirate.”

“A _pirate_?” The question comes from Serena, Veronica, and Hendrik at once, all of their reactions and tones causing a cacophony of interest, bewilderment, and alarm.

This might be a much longer two days than Luminary planned. “Let’s all focus on getting to the campsite first, and then we can bombard each other with questions.” Choosing to ignore Veronica’s insistent question of, ‘What do you _mean_ he’s a pirate?’ Luminary moves beside Erik and places a hand on his shoulder, smiling apologetically. “Don’t know if it’ll work, but I at least tried to buy you some time. Lead the way.”

With a quiet laugh to himself and a shake of his head, Erik starts heading south, directing the group to the campsite. All the while, he tries not to focus on how natural it feels to have Luminary walk in tandem at his side.

* * *

Cobblestone is an idyllic, almost sleepy town with a picturesque balance between people and nature. Luminary doesn’t share his thoughts with the rest of his companions, but there is a sense of peace that seems to exist here that reminds him fiercely of the town right outside of Dundrasil castle’s borders. It sends a pang of homesickness shuddering through him while simultaneously feeling like a balm.

As much as he would like to spend time exploring this placid village, the need to get to Gallopolis as quickly as possible bears down on them, so they press forward.

From the villagers, the group quickly learns that Chalky had unfortunately passed a few years ago, though his daughter Amber still keeps many of his journals and artifacts from his journeys. They make their way to her house and are caught off guard by the sheer exuberance and hospitality Amber shows them before they even have a chance to explain why they are there.

“I don’t get too many visitors asking about my father’s travels, though judging by the look of you, I don’t suppose you’re just here for stories.” Amber sets a tea pot on the table after making sure everyone is properly served. “So what can I help you with?”

“We’re on our way to Gallopolis, and we heard Chalky found a way to cross the ocean that was faster than a boat,” Erik explains.

Amber’s eyes light up with recognition immediately, though her lips curve downward into a small frown. “You’re looking to go through the Door of Departure to the southeast, though you won’t be able to just walk through it. There’s a special relic you’ll need, but unfortunately, I can’t just hand it over to you folk. Chalky was holding onto it specifically for The Luminary, since it can only be used once.”

“Huh, looks like being the Hero of Legend comes with plenty of unknown perks.”

Before Amber can ask Erik what he means, Luminary removes his glove from his left hand and shows Amber the mark of Yggdrasil. “What he meant to say is we weren’t expecting your father to find and hold onto a relic specifically for me.”

She stares at the mark for a long moment before looking back up at Luminary. “That makes everything a mite bit easier. He was hoping to meet you in person, but…” Feeling tears gather at the corners of her eyes, Amber shakes her head and gets up from her seat. Moving around the table, she heads into the adjacent room to look through Chalky’s collection. “Well, make yourselves comfortable. Might take me a minute or two to find it.”

Luminary puts his glove back on before looking at the rest of the group. “Seems like our stay here will be shorter than we expected.”

“In that case,” Serena says as she stands up, “Veronica and I will go stock up on food for the trip!”

“You just want an excuse to sample some of the local pastries-” Serena shushes Veronica before she gets a chance to incriminate her further.

“We don’t know what we’re going to run into once we go through this Door of Departure, so stocking up on supplies isn’t a bad idea. I’ll go check out the shop to replenish our herbs and see if there are any good armor or weapons here.” As Jade stands to leave, Hendrik immediately stands up with her.

“I will accompany you, Prin-” Jade gives Hendrik a sharp look. “-Jade.”

“I don’t think I’ll need a bodyguard in a peaceful town like this, Hendrik.”

Hendrik shakes his head, mostly to placate her. “I will carry whatever you find.”

Jade forces herself to not roll her eyes, suspecting they’ll still have to work on this for weeks before he stops treating her like royalty. “I don’t have it in me to argue. Let’s all meet up at the town gate in an hour.”

Luminary waves them off as the four head to their separate destinations, leaving him and Erik sitting alone in Amber’s home.

“I’m surprised Warrior Princess trusts me alone with you,” Erik says, resting his chin in his hand.

“Why wouldn’t she? Unless if you plan on doing something unsavory.” Luminary looks over at Erik just in time to see his smile turn positively wicked.

Before Erik has a chance to say anything back, Amber walks into the room, holding a small, wooden box in her hands. Her expression changes into one of surprise when she realizes only Luminary and Erik are left. “I didn’t think I was gone for that long…”

“We didn’t want to impose longer than we have to,” Luminary explains.

“You’re not imposing at all, dear! It’s not every day we get a group like yours passing through, and I did say we were kinda expecting you.” Amber sets the box down in front of Luminary and opens the lid. “If I’m remembering right, Dad said this was called ‘The Keystone.’ Should open the Door of Departure right up for you, but only for a time and it won’t open again.”

Erik nods to himself as he takes the information in. “So a one way ticket, huh? And we’ll have to be quick about it, too.”

Reaching into the box, Luminary pulls out the Keystone and holds it between his hands. Shaped like an oddly cut gemstone, the Keystone radiates a muted blue and purple light, depending on the way he turns it in his hands. He can feel the thread of magic strumming through it, a quiet pulse that feels like a dormant power. “Did your father tell you how to use the stone?”

Amber shakes her head. “There wasn’t anything in his notes about how to use it, just that it will open the door.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” Usually, Luminary would need some kind of sign or proof to feel more at ease with a magic stone and zero instructions. However, the sheer confidence in Erik’s tone makes it easy to just have faith that they _will_ figure something out when the time comes, makes _him_ incredibly easy to trust.

Erik can feel Luminary gaze at him, and he gives the prince a cocky smirk. Luminary can’t help but smile back in return.

After placing the Keystone in his pack, Luminary and Erik stand up from the table. “Thank you for this and for the tea.”

She waves him off, chuckling at his politeness. “Think nothing of it, dear. I’m just happy knowing that our little town can help The Luminary in some way, but don’t let me hold you lads up. Feel free to visit again if you’re ever around these parts.” Amber walks them out of her home, cheerfully waving as they head down the hill toward the edge of town.

“You seem to like it here.” Erik’s observation catches Luminary off guard. “You get this almost… bittersweet and whimsical look on your face when you look around.”

Feeling heat rise in his cheeks, Luminary gives off a small, nervous laugh. “Just reminds me of home, that’s all.”

“A kingdom as big as Dundrasil has a quaint, little place like this?” Erik lets out a low whistle. “Guess I’ll have to see it for myself some time.”

“For as much as I’m sure you’ve traveled, you’ve never been to Dundrasil?”

With a half shrug, Erik doesn’t look over at the prince. “I had a lot less freedom to choose than you think.” Because of his tone, Luminary decides not to press further.

Still, the silence isn’t awkward, but it’s far from the easy one they’ve managed to maintain on their journey so far. Luminary understands more and more with each day that Erik’s past is a delicate topic to broach, though he never feels the need to pry. If anything, he wants Erik to feel comfortable enough to share on his own, and they have plenty of time.

Jade and Hendrik are already waiting for them at the entrance, though as they’re approaching the pair, they can hear hurried footsteps behind them. Serena and Veronica suddenly appear at their side, their packs bulging with food.

“I thought you were going to restock our food, not rob this town of their whole supply,” Erik says as he folds his arms over his chest, “and I thought _you_ would rein her in.”

“Hmph, you try controlling Serena when it comes to sweets,” Veronica shoots back. “Plus, I’m not her keeper.”

“Please tell me you at least got something other than pastries to sustain us,” Jade says, though Luminary can detect both the hint of hope and resignation in her tone.

“There’s also dried meat and some vegetables for us along the way.” Serena’s voice is reassuring, and Jade lets out a small sigh of relief.

“There would have been more sweets, but she ate them before we even had a chance to leave the shop.”

“ _Veronica!_ ”

“They would have figured it out anyway with the sugar lining your mouth.” Serena’s face quickly flushes all the way down to her chest, and she hastily brushes away the crumbs around her lips. “It’s gone now, you’re fine. Anyway! We’re heading down to the Door of Departure now, right? Did you get what we needed to open it?”

Luminary pats the pack on his hip. “Amber gave us the Keystone, though once the door is open, we’ll need to go through it fast.”

“And we won’t be able to go back through it,” Erik adds, “so we’ll eventually have to find a ship, probably at Gondolia beyond Gallopolis’ border, though getting past the border guards will be a different story.”

“How about we wait to deal with that after we actually get to Gallopolis?” Walking toward the exit, Veronica tosses Hendrik her bag of rations, not looking to see if he catches them. Luminary lets out a small sigh when he does. “Cart in front of the horse and all that. First, let’s make sure this Keystone works.”

“Thank you, Hendrik!” Serena politely hands her pack to Hendrik as well before following after her sister. Now, Amber said to the door was to the southwest, yes?”

Hendrik simply stares after them in mild shock, unsure whether to accept his fate or try to hand the packs back to the twins. He feels a pat of his shoulder and looks over to see Jade smirking up at him.

“Just let us know if you need help carrying anything.”

* * *

They make their way through Cobblestone Falls, heading east past the Kingsbarrow before spending the night at another campsite. Even though it’s only been a handful of days, each of them is already starting to find their place within the group, though Luminary still isn’t used to his position at its center.

To him, they feel like spokes on a wheel with him as the hub. Even as they fight monsters along the way, they seem to form a pentagon around him, with Hendrik on point, Jade and Erik at his sides, and the Serena and Veronica behind, providing support. He was always told of his destiny, prepared for it, imagined what it would be like when he finally set on his epic journey to destroy the darkness plaguing Erdrea, and while he knew he would have companions along the way, he never imagined that it would look like this - with his companions so ready and almost _eager_ to protect him with their life.

And for the first time, Luminary feels a true sense of what it’s like to be Yggdrasil’s favorite leaf. It leaves a pit in his stomach, dark and tangled, but small enough to ignore for now.

The feeling stays with him that night, especially as he prays to the Goddess’ statue, reflecting on their travels so far. It’s been tamer than he expected, with a destination and goal in mind, but he still doesn’t know the name or shape of the evil he’s supposed to defeat. They’re all depending on their trip to the Heart of Yggdrasil to reveal their true purpose, so all they have to go on right now is pure, simple faith.

Luminary has never doubted his destiny, but the lack of a clear end goal leaves him with a slight but steadily growing sense of unease.

He tries not to focus on that thought, instead, turning his attention to his companions around him, letting their sounds around the campfire set him into almost a meditative trance. Serena is the closest, playing a dulcet yet melancholy tune on her harp as Veronica sits beside her, quietly reading a tome she brought with her by the fire. He hears every time she turns the page, and sometimes, he can pick up the quiet murmurs she says to herself as she reads, though he can’t make out the words.

Hendrik is the furthest away, training diligently with the practice dummy that’s set up. His attacks are methodical, truly rhythmic, and Luminary knows the formation by heart because it’s one he had to practice himself while under Hendrik’s command. When he concentrates hard enough, he can predict Hendrik’s strikes, knowing exactly what sound they will make. He knows Jade is close by the knight, having him also practice calling her by her name rather than her title and having a normal conversation with her as he swings his sword. She will tease him for a time when he slips up and calls her ‘Princess,’ but Hendrik manages to make incredible progress, considering how honor bound by duty he usually is.

Erik is much harder to hear than the others, the man’s movements naturally quieter due to his profession. When he first started praying, Luminary could only tell where he was because of the steady sound of his whetstone against his knives, but now that he’s looking for the sound again, he notices its absence. It’s not until he hears steps approaching him that he knows where Erik is, and he knows Erik’s steps only made sound to let Luminary know he was coming. It’s one of the few things Erik has been doing lately, at least around him. Not so much around Veronica because he, as he puts it, ‘likes watching her jump.’

Opening his eyes, Luminary sees Erik leaning against the Goddess’ statue, watching him casually. Shifting his weight to his heels, Luminary pushes himself up to a stand and brushes the dirt off of his knees. “I take it you’re not the spiritual type.”

Erik shrugs, glancing quickly at the statue’s face before looking back at Luminary. “Hard to argue with a floating tree in the sky and legendary heroes that are reincarnated, but no, I wouldn’t consider myself spiritual. Don’t have much faith in people, either.”

“So what _do_ you have faith in?” Luminary asks, expecting Erik’s usual self-assured answer.

“I have faith in The Luminary,” Erik says while looking Luminary straight in the eyes, his expression serious and gaze unwavering. “I have faith in _you_.”

Any response dies in Luminary’s throat, and he finds himself staring back at Erik, unsure if there even is anything to say.

Veronica snorts and whispers, “Gross.”

Rolling his eyes, Erik pushes off the statue. “Anyway, I came over here to give you something, not wax philosophical. C’mere.” He leads Luminary to a different part of the camp, stopping before a weirdly shaped and colorful box.

“What exactly is it?”

“A forge for making things like weapons and armor, but like… how did he describe it…? ‘Fun-sized.’ Got it from a merchant a few years back, but I was never good with the thing. Still, it seemed too unique to sell myself. Since we’ll probably need our equipment repaired from time to time, I figured you might want to take a ‘whack’ at it.”

Luminary wrinkles his nose. “Was that pun necessary?”

“For that expression? Yes. Anyway, it’ll be easiest to use when we have some downtime like this, but when you’re ready to go, just click here-” Erik taps a knob on the side, and the machine compresses itself into a box the size of Luminary’s fists, “-and you can take it with you. You’re typically either writing in your journal or praying when we have a minute to ourselves, so I thought you might want something else to do with your hands.”

“And you’re just giving this to me?”

“If you make good use of it, we’ll all benefit from it, but yeah. It’s yours.”

A smile spreads across Luminary’s face as sense of excitement to create fills him. “This is great! Thanks, partner.” He catches a hint of surprise and something else that flickers across Erik’s face that’s too fast to name, but in the end, he simply smirks back.

That night, Luminary adds his own sound to the campsite – the pounding of the forge. If his strikes match the same rhythm as the whetstone against Erik’s blade, no one says a word.

* * *

“I would say it’s more of a mausoleum than a door, frankly,” Veronica says as they stand outside of The Door of Departure, and no one feels like they can really argue, considering the stone bridge, intricate designs in the stonework, and constant flames flanking the doors. In the middle of the doors is a single, dull blue orb that starts pulsing with a faint light the closer they get to it.

Pointing to the pouch on Luminary’s hip, Erik says, “I guess we didn’t need instructions after all.”

Luminary looks down and sees that the pouch is glowing in time with the stone on the door. He pulls out the Keystone, watching as it starts to steadily glow brighter with every passing second. “Speak now if there’s anything that we’re forgetting because it’ll be a while before we can come back and get it.”

“We have The Luminary and Keystone. Anything else we need I’m sure we can find in the next town.”

When everyone nods in agreement, Luminary holds the Keystone up to the doors. The Keystone starts to glow brightly, echoing the flash from the doors before they slide open, revealing an empty chamber with a large circle on the floor. The group rushes inside, seeing the doors start to close behind them as the last person squeezes through, and then they all disappear in a flash of light right before the doors finally shut.

By the time they can see again, they’re standing in an almost identical room, though the doors here are wide open to a rocky valley that spreads before them.

“I don’t suppose anyone recognizes where we are.” Jade heads out of the building first, looking around for any sort of clues that might hint at their location.

“If this is a shortcut to Gallopolis, then we’re probably on the southern continent. Since it seems like there’s only the one path to take, we can figure it out as we go along. Right now, we should focus on finding a town or another campsite before dark.” Hendrik walks out into the sunlight followed by the others. With the way the mountain walls are flanking them on both sides, there really is only one direction to go.

They make their way down the trail, dispatching any monsters that threaten their group. Keeping an eye on the sun, they watch it sink closer to the horizon with no indication of civilization anywhere close by. However, before they have a chance to discuss whether or not to travel through the night, Serena lets out a quiet gasp, startling the group to a halt.

“Look! The rock over there – is that steam coming up behind it?” She points to the west, and in the dying light, they can see the wisps of steam curling around the giant rock up on a hill. “It looks like it isn’t the only source of steam either.”

“That explains why it’s been getting warmer even as it’s getting darker. I’ll take a closer look.” Jade climbs up the rock, peering on the other side of it. With a grin, she looks back over her shoulder at the rest of the group waiting below. “We can’t see it yet, but we’re getting close to a town.” She jumps back down, landing gracefully on her feet.

“Could you see one from your vantage point?” Hendrik asks.

“Not quiet, but Serena still found an important landmark. She found a hot spring.”

“We must be near Hotto then!” Serena’s excitement is almost as palpable as Veronica’s relief.

“Thank Yggdrasil. It means we’ll have a decent place to rest _and_ an amazing bathing experience.” Veronica rests her staff on her shoulders, staring longingly at the hot spring. “I always did want to try Hotto’s hot springs at least once.”

Erik is the first to start walking again, and if his pace is a bit faster than normal, no one can fault him for it. “Hot food, a hot bath, and a warm bed? I won’t pass up that kind of luxury.”

The rest of the group follows eagerly, and just before nightfall, they finally make it to Hotto.

They greet the sight the same way desert travelers greet an oasis. The twins break away from the rest immediately, following the signs that direct them toward the bath houses. Jade trails behind them with less outward enthusiasm, though Luminary can tell by her body language that she’s just as excited by the prospect.

“I’ll check us into the inn,” Hendrik offers. “Afterwards, I will probably head to the bath house as well. Are you planning to retire for the night, Luminary?”

Luminary looks over at Erik, who seems to be waiting for his answer. Turning his attention back to Hendrik, he shakes his head. “Not right away. I want to see if the equipment shops are still open, especially since the few items I have seen from Hotto were very high quality.”

“Very well. I will see you both in the morning,” Hendrik says before heading towards the inn to secure them lodging.

Erik huffs out a sigh when it’s just the two of them. “Well, these last few days have been…”

“Interesting?” Luminary supplies, smirking at his companion.

“I was going to say ‘colorful,’ but interesting works, too. I don’t think we’ll ever have to worry about being bored with this group.”

“I think we’ll have to worry about drawing too much attention, but nothing we can do about it for now.” Luminary checks his coin supply in his pack, noting that there are also quite a few items he can sell as well. “So what are your plans for the rest of the evening? Is it hot springs or sleep for you?”

“Food, actually. I saw a sign for a bar that isn’t too far from the hot springs. They’re usually a good place for grub and information. Wanna come with?”

Food does sound incredibly good, and he knows there’s no rush to look at Hotto’s wares right away. They’ll probably have time in the morning to look around and shop for anything they need. “Sure, food sounds good. Hot Springs after that?”

“Don’t see why not.”

* * *

Erik lets out a deep moan as he slips further down. “Goddess, and I thought the food and sauna were good… Can I just sleep here?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think they want us to stay here all night.” Luminary leans his head back against the rim of the spring, letting the warm water lap at his chest due to Erik disturbing the water, not that he was going to complain at all. The heat of the water feels like it’s sinking directly into his muscles before it leeches the tension and aches from his body. If there is an afterlife, Luminary wants it to feel exactly like this.

“Fine… just make sure I don’t drown if I fall asleep.”

“No drowning, got it.”

Steam rises up around them, curling around their figures as they lie almost motionless in the water. Erik has his head resting on his arms against the edge of the water, his breathing gradually becoming slower and deeper. If Luminary weren’t so fascinated by the stars above them, he could easily be lulled to sleep simply by the sound of Erik’s breaths. But he’s on no-drowning duty, so he keeps his eyes open, even if they’re only half lidded, and nudges Erik with his leg. The change in Erik’s breathing is the only response he gets in return, but at least he knows that the man is still awake.

Neither of them comment on how Luminary’s leg stays pressed against Erik’s.

“If you don’t want to drown, you should probably focus on not falling asleep.”

Erik lets out a small grumble before turning his head to look at Luminary. “Fine, though it’s not like there’s enough room to swim in here. Barely enough room for a third person.”

“Then tell me how you ended up in Heliodor.” Luminary can feel the tension in Erik’s body through the water before he even has a chance to dodge the question. Another topic he’ll have to avoid.

“How about something more interesting? I can tell you what I know about Gallopolis.”

“I’ve been, actually. It’s hot, almost to the point of being unbearable, though the people are interesting, and the circus they have there is always entertaining. Didn’t think I would being going back there any time soon.”

“What? You didn’t like it?” Luminary rolls his head to the side, now looking back at Erik directly.

“It wasn’t that. You at least got to experience the city like a normal person. I had to visit as a royal, which means I had very little time to actually go out and see what Gallopolis had to offer. Plus, when you’re only eight years old, you tend to have at least two or three adults guarding you at any given moment. It probably would have been more fun if I went with Jade.”

“I can understand why they wouldn’t want to let a young prince _and_ The Luminary all wrapped up in one go exploring on his own.”

Luminary chuckles quietly to himself. “You act like now is any different. I could finally have had some alone time, but I’m still here with you.”

“Forgive me, Your Highness, for intruding on your solitary brooding time.” Erik waves his hand in the air, a mockery of a formal bow.

Only because he knows Erik is watching, Luminary rolls his eyes as hard as he can. “You forget that I _chose_ to join you. If I truly wanted to be along right now, I could always get up and leave.”

“But then you’d have to leave the water.”

“And why would I ever do that?”

“Guess you’ll have to put up with me for a bit longer.”

Luminary closes his eyes and sinks a bit deeper into the water until it’s up to his neck. “A heavy burden, indeed, but as The Luminary, I will gladly take up this arduous task.” Cracking an eye open, he sees a satisfied and unguarded grin spreading across Erik’s face.

“Cute. I’ll remember this.” Without warning, Erik slips completely beneath the surface of the water. When he comes back up, he runs his hands through his hair, preventing more water from running into his eyes. However, it does nothing to stop the many rivulets of water running over his skin, sliding down back into the spring.

Luminary can’t even begin to stop himself from staring, and even though he has been able to push the thought to the back recesses of his mind, he cannot ignore how breathtakingly attractive Erik is. He had forgotten how much the moonlight highlights the man’s features, causing his eyes to almost have an ethereal glow. For supposedly being Yggdrasil’s chosen, Luminary feels almost devastatingly plain in comparison.

More than that, though, he feels thankful that the heat from the water can easily explain the flush that burns against his skin. He sinks into the water a bit lower to hide anyway, allowing it to cover his nose and cheeks, though his eyes are still glued to Erik’s form.

Erik lets his hands fall back into the spring and looks down to see Luminary staring up at him, his hair floating by the sides of his mostly submerged face. The grin he aims at the prince is nothing short of impish, and Luminary knows that even if he made up an excuse now, Erik wouldn’t buy it for a second. “You look like a kid who was just caught stealing. No need to be shy. I promise I won’t bite.”

Luminary’s gaze shifts to a glare, and a huff of bubbles is the only audible response he gives. Erik just laughs.

“C’mon. We’re already starting to prune, and it’s getting late. Let’s head back and get some sleep.” Erik offers his hand to Luminary, unsurprised that the prince takes it without hesitation. He pulls Luminary up to his feet, his grip lingering for a beat too long before dropping Luminary’s hand and climbing out of the pool.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild Sylvando appears~ Thank you again for all the lovely comments and kudos! I'm officially breaking this up into a series with this story as Act I and the 2nd story as a combination of Act II & III. The Stolen Path is going to follow the actual game's story closer, but considering how I've shifted people's roles around a bit, the 2nd story is going to be much more divergent from the game's story.
> 
> Regardless, thank you so much for reading and for your support!

They don’t linger in Hotto longer than necessary, at least giving themselves time to look through the shops for better equipment and items for their journey. Erik learns of a campsite between Hotto and Gallopolis that will give them a place to safely rest for the night, and while Luminary does get a chance to look at the specialty weapons by Hotto’s famed blacksmiths, he’s surprised to find nothing that catches his eye quite like the set Derk showed him.

The group ends up leaving around the middle of the afternoon, giving them plenty of daylight to get to the camp, and after a night of rest, they make their last push to Gallopolis.

Gallopolis sits on an oasis in the middle of the desert, and with the heat and the sun bearing down on them at every moment, Luminary completely understands why Erik would buy an outfit to make the local weather more tolerable. Erik had dressed in a different version of it that morning, white fabric replacing the darker hues to help deflect heat and a turban to help shade his face from the sun. Everyone else had to modify their normal clothes as they moved on, shedding layers to cool down.

As soon as they enter the city, Veronica and Jade make a beeline for the local pub with plans of buying out their entire water supply. The rest of them linger by the entrance to the city, enjoying the shade cast by the massive city gate.

“You didn’t want to join your sister?” Serena shakes her head as a reply to Luminary’s question.

“I am very thirsty, but I want to just enjoy this cool spot for a little longer.” She wipes sweat from her brow with her sleeve. “Though I might find something else to wear first. Are we going to visit the Sultan today?”

“It’ll be getting dark pretty soon, and the castle isn’t open to the public during the day.”

“You’re not exactly the public, Hero Prince,” Erik says as he removes his turban, allowing his hair return to its natural spiky shape. “Do you really think the Sultan and his guards will turn you away?”

“Probably not, especially since he should know we’re coming, but the royal family here is a bit… eccentric, to put it politely.” Luminary scratches the back of his neck nervously while staring at the castle in the distance. “Honestly, I don’t think this will be as simple as walk in, get Rainbough, leave quickly. And knowing Prince Faris, he’ll probably have a ‘favor’ he’ll want to ask of us.”

“That doesn’t sound too terrible,” Serena says, her characteristic innocence and optimism coloring her words.

“No, I don’t think it’ll be terrible. Just tedious. You’ll see what I mean when we meet him.”

Eventually, the four of them head to the pub together, walking in just in time to see Jade and Veronica slam down their empty glasses in unison.

“That might be the best drink I’ve ever tasted.” Jade licks her lips for any stray droplets, looking down into her glass to see if there’s anything left to drink.

Nodding her head vigorously, Veronica lets out a contented sigh. “I agree completely. I cannot recommend it enough.”

“Ooo, in that case, I’ll have a glass of whatever they just had,” Serena tells the bartender, walking up beside her twin.

The bartender gives all of them a strange look, unsure of how serious they are. “They just had three glasses of water…”

“Oh good, then I’ll have one of those, too. In fact, we’ll all have a round.” Erik plops on a stool next to Jade, patting the chair beside him as an invitation for Luminary. Their group ends up crowding the bar, drinking water like fish and pumping the bartender for information about different things to do in the city, such as going to see the circus or staying for the Sand National races that were starting within a couple days. Between the various sights in the city and needing to decide on their next move after they receive the Rainbough, they decide to stay for at least until after the Sand National.

So when they make their way to the castle the following morning, all of them are surprised that the Sultan of Gallopolis won’t grant them an audience.

“Did the Sultan not receive a missive from King Carnelian, telling him to prepare for our arrival?” Hendrik asks the Chancellor, trying his hardest to keep the growing irritation out of his voice.

“We did receive the message-” the Chancellor begins until Hendrik cuts him off.

“Then you know that we are on a mission of great import, and that we travel with both Prince Luminary of Dundrasil _and_ Princess Jade of Heliodor?”

“Of course, and we are more than happy to see you all are properly accommodated during your stay-”

“If you understand this, then _why_ is His Majesty refusing to meet with us?”

While Hendrik’s volume hadn’t risen during the conversation, his facial expression and tone gradually became more stern. The Chancellor shrinks under Hendrik’s intense glare, hesitant to reply as though he knows his answer will only upset the knight further. “The Sultan… he requested time to focus on writing his opening speech for the Sand National tomorrow.”

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Veronica mutters to herself as Hendrik’s face goes from frustrated to completely blank.

“The Sultan of Gallopolis is currently indisposed and will not meet with The Luminary, Yggdrasil’s Chosen, because he is writing a speech. For a race.”

The Chancellor’s voice is almost laughably meek. “Correct, Sir Hendrik.” When no one speaks another word for nearly a whole minute, the Chancellor rushes to fill the silence with an explanation. “It’s not just because it’s the Sand National! It’s because this is the year that Prince Faris is debuting in the National, and it is an extremely important rite of passage for the royal family. This is the most anticipated race we’ve had in decades, so it has been the primary focus of the castle staff for many months.”

“We did want to stay for the Sand National anyway,” Serena points out, and with her simple words, she manages to loosen the agitation from Hendrik’s shoulders. “We could wait the couple days and meet with the Sultan after.”

“I guess it can’t be helped.” Jade lets out a weary sigh and shares a look with Luminary. While the royals of Gallopolis are excellent with issues of hospitality, they still did everything in their own time and on their own terms. “Honestly, we should have expected as much.” She turns her attention to the Chancellor, speaking to him with an authoritative tone that she rarely has to use. “Inform the sultan that we have arrived in the city and that we will expect an audience with him concerning the Rainbough the morning after the Sand National.”

The man nods hastily in agreeance. “Of course, Princess Jade. I shall give him your message directly, and we will make accommodations for that time.” After a curt nod from the princess, he retreats further into the castle.

“His Majesty would never refuse such a missive,” Hendrik grouses, though the rest of the group is unsure if the comment was meant for them or was his way of venting.

Jade gives the man an understanding and slightly apologetic smile. “All royals have their special quirks, but Gallopolian royals are particularly unique. Let’s just relax for now, and we can worry about the Rainbough after everything calms down.” When she hears rapid footsteps approaching them, a distinct chill runs up her spine. She spoke too soon.

“Princess Jade! I had heard rumors of your arrival, but I am overjoyed that you have made it to Gallopolis safely!”

Taking a moment to compose herself, Jade quietly curses under her breath before plastering a practiced and completely fake smile on her face. “Prince Faris,” she says, turning to greet the new arrival, “I am surprised that you are not with your father, though I guess you’ve been understandably busy preparing for your Sand National debut.”

Prince Faris is all gilt and glamour, sporting a confident and cocky smile that only slightly falters at the mention of the Sand National. “W-well, it’s hard not to be when the entire city is looking forward to this momentous event.” Peering over Jade’s shoulder, his eyes widen as soon as he sees Luminary standing behind her. “Why, Prince Luminary! I hardly recognized you in such… common attire. You certainly have grown since the last time we met.”

Luminary nods in acknowledgement, though he does move to formally greet Faris. “It has been nearly a decade.” He starts to say more but he cuts himself off when he sees the strange and assessing gaze in Faris’ eyes as the man looks Luminary up and down. It’s not the same as when he’s been given a once over by nobles who have tried to court him; if anything, it feels like Faris is measuring something and discovering that his findings are close to his estimate.

After a few moments of this awkward pause, Prince Faris finally asks, “Have you had a chance to speak with my father yet, Prince Luminary?”

“Not yet, though apparently he is aware of our arrival. We were told that we won’t have an audience with him until after the Sand National is over.” Prince Faris’ entire expression lights up, and he grabs Luminary by the shoulders.

“Excellent! Then I suppose you are free this evening, yes? I know you are on a very important mission; however, I could use your assistance, if you have the time to lend me your ear. I would go into details now, but it is a rather… _private_ matter, and there are too many ears in the castle.”

After shooting Jade a look, Luminary shifts his attention back to Faris, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible. “Where do you suggest we talk then?”

“The circus runs every night, as you know. I’m sure your companions would love the entertainment, and the noise from the crowd will prevent anyone from listening in on our conversation. I will meet you outside the circus tent just after nightfall!” Prince Faris walks away with a wave before Luminary even has the chance to agree, which is something he wishes he didn’t expect from the beginning. Faris always had a way of simply forging ahead and assuming that everyone else will follow without question, and since he is the prince, he’s right more often than not.

“What could he possibly want?” Veronica asks with a slightly irritated tone. “He didn’t even bother introducing himself. If it weren’t for the fact that he invited us indirectly to go with you guys, I would have assumed he didn’t notice we were here.” Luminary didn’t have the heart to tell her that she is probably right.

“Jade did mention that the royals of Gallopolis were ‘ _different_ ,’ in a way. Still, we can at least see the circus, and now we don’t even have to worry about getting tickets!” Serena claps her hands together in excitement, holding them in front of her chest. “For a circus that is on year-round, it’s surprisingly hard to get tickets. A lot of the people we passed by earlier were lamenting that they missed their chance to see tonight’s show.”

“I guess it pays to be the prince of the city hosting the venue.”

Erik stands on Luminary’s right, still looking in the direction Prince Faris headed off in with slightly narrowed eyes. “I don’t know what he wants with you, but I have a feeling this is going to be more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Knowing Faris, it’ll certainly be tedious, but it shouldn’t be anything too outrageous. Plus, we can’t afford to be ill-mannered guests.” Jade sighs and flicks her ponytail over her shoulder before crossing her arms over her chest with a frown. “I was just hoping we would be able to avoid him for longer or altogether, if possible.” Glancing over at Luminary, Jade tilts her head down and lets a fond smile unfurl on her lips. “I was honestly wondering how long it would take for you to break and finally give them attention.”

“Quiet you.” Luminary looks up from the spot he’s kneeling in, though his fingers don’t stop running through the cat’s fur at his feet. He had forgotten how much he loved the sheer number of felines that freely roamed the castle. “We’ll just need to hear Faris out and go from there.” Giving the cat one last scratch under the chin, he raises to his feet and dusts off his knees. Luminary smiles at his companions, relieved that the simple expression causes at least a little bit of frustration to fall from everyone’s shoulders. “We’re on a mini-vacation, remember? Let’s not worry about what he wants until later.”

* * *

“I need you to ride for me during the race. Please!”

The group stares at Prince Faris, completely speechless as a roar of applause from the crowd behind them fills the circus tent. Luminary heard stories and experienced first hand Prince Faris’ tendency to ask people to fulfill his duties for him, but requesting him to impersonate the crown prince on his own coming of age ceremony? This is beyond what even Luminary was expecting.

Erik is the first one to regain his bearings and somehow looks the least surprised of them all. If anything, he seems almost completely bored and already finished with this ‘secret’ meeting. Then again, with the way he decided to sit in his chair backwards when they first sat down, he was probably finished with it before it even started. Lifting his chin off his folded arms, he makes a loose gesture in Luminary’s general direction. “You do realize you two look absolutely nothing alike, right?”

“Yes, but no need to worry! All Gallopolian royalty wear full armor during races, including helmets. From a distance, no one will be able to tell it’s not me!”

“You have got to be the most useless and shameless excuse for a prince I have ever heard of,” Veronica admonishes. “You do realize this _completely_ defeats the purpose of your debut.”

“Prince Faris…” Jade hesitates for a moment, unsure how to continue without being completely rude, but also not wanting to pull her punches. “Why do we even need to do this for you? We’ve heard rumors all over the city that you’re one of the most accomplished riders Gallopolis has seen in years.”

“Yes, well… I can barely even sit on a saddle…” Looking up at the group surrounding him, he sees only blank stares looking back. Quickly, he rushes to fill the silence, desperation bleeding into his words. “During practice, I’ve always had someone else ride for me because everyone was expecting me to be this wonderfully perfect rider just like my father, and how could I possibly disappoint my family and my subjects? But then the Sand Nationals loomed closer, and Father was so proud of me for my riding skill, and he’s looking forward to my debut so much, so I can’t possibly ride as myself with everyone watching like that, but I can’t just _not_ ride, and then you came along, and you’re just my height! I know if you ride for me, no one will be able to tell the difference, and _everyone_ will come out on top.” His face flushes with the speed and excitement in his words near the end, and his eyes are wide and hopeful, shining with assurance.

“Did the Sultan of Gallopolis not also teach you the basic principles of the Knight’s Pledge?” Hendrik cuts in. His glare towards Prince Faris is a combination of disgust and disappointment, and Faris cannot help but cower back at the force of it. “‘Never retreats in the face of adversity.’”

“Sir Hendrik… I- I know the pledge by heart, but you have to understand – as the Crown Prince and sole heir, everyone is expecting so much from me, and I can’t let them down!”

Sneaking a glance at Erik, Luminary doesn’t think it’s possible for the man to look less impressed, and judging by the similar expressions on his companions’ faces, they share the same sentiment. Erik rests his chin on his hand, his eyes boring into the prince. “Okay, then let’s rephrase: _why_ should we do this for you?”

“You’re here for the Rainbough, correct?” Prince Faris asks, regaining a bit more of his composure when he doesn’t look directly at Hendrik in the eyes. “I heard Father mention it after he received the message from Heliodor. As you could tell from your visit this morning, he has been busy with the Sand National, and I don’t believe he’s retrieved it from the Royal Vault yet. I can make sure you get it as soon as the Sand National is over, I can have my father grant you papers to cross the border into Gondolia, and I can give you some of our best horses for your travels on land - all for this _one_ favor.”

The group takes a moment to silently consider the offer, but Serena is the one to speak up first. “It is only _one_ race…”

“Plus, we’ll have horses to make our way through this desert _faster_ , and we’ll be able to walk right into Gondolia.” Veronica leans back in her seat and folds her arms. “I don’t like the idea of helping this idiot lie to his people, but… it’s not a bad deal.”

“I am not in favor of this. It feels dishonorable, but I can understand its merits,” Hendrik says, knowing the chances he’ll be outvoted are high, but Luminary respects his opinion all the same.

“Honestly, I was expecting he would ask for something more ridiculous,” Jade adds.

“More so than asking someone to impersonating them during their own rite of passage?” Hendrik asks incredulously.

Jade just shrugs in response.

Erik tunes the rest of the group out and focuses his attention on Luminary, who is quietly absorbing the conversation around him. Placing a hand on Luminary’s shoulder, Erik makes sure that he has Luminary’s full attention and watches his reaction closely before speaking. “You’ll be the one doing the race, so the choice is yours. I’ll support whatever you want to do.”

Luminary holds Erik’s gaze, though he honestly made his mind up a while ago. From his experiences, humoring Prince Faris usually led to little trouble on his end, and it’ll help them get everything they need from Gallopolis in one fell swoop. He agrees with everyone’s grievances, but the offer is simply too good to ignore.

Turning his attention to Prince Faris, he nods in acceptance. “Fine, I’ll race for you. So how is this going to work?”

The relief on Prince Faris’ face seems to make him glow, and any signs of apprehension and humility disappear. Back in their place is his usual haughty, self-assured grin. “Excellent! Meet me tomorrow morning in the racers’ stables. I’ll have a private room, and we can do the swap there.” He stands up from their table with the sounds of the circus still around them. “Remember, tomorrow morning!” And with a jaunt in his step, he heads out of the circus tent.

“He does realize he never actually answered your question, right?” Erik asks with a tone that hints he already knows the answer.

“No,” Luminary replies. “No, I don’t think he does.”

“Thought so. Good luck with that one.”

“He’d fit right in with the circus considering how much of a colorful character he is,” Veronica says. The rest of them silently need in agreement, still processing the experience that was dealing with Prince Faris.

“We might as well enjoy the rest of the show while we’re here.” Serena turns back to the stage, excitement causing her to wiggle in her seat. “Oh, the Ring Master is back out! I think we haven’t missed the star attraction- Sister, look!” She taps Veronica rapidly on the arm, forcing the twin to turn her seat around just so Serena will calm down.

“I’m looking! I’m looking! Jeez…”

Down below, the spotlight shines down on the Ring Master, drawing everyone’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Finally, it is time for the act you have all been eagerly awaiting. I am honored to present to you the Magnificent, the Sensational, the Great - _Sylvando!_ ”

Suddenly, all the lights simultaneously turn off before a single spotlight shines on a single, tall man. With slicked back hair and a jester’s outfit, he stands on top of the small, gold trimmed tent that acts as a doorway between the ring and the backstage. The man perfectly executes a front flip, sticking his landing in the center of the ring with a flourish. Stretching his arms out wide, he reveals six colorful balls within his grasp, precariously held between his fingers. One by one, he flings them into the air, juggling all six with a mastery that seems as natural as breathing. He glides around the ring as he juggles, smiling at the impressed murmur of the crowd before tossing all six in the air at once. With a sly smile at the audience, Sylvando snaps his fingers, and one by one, each ball turns into a knife before falling back down to his waiting hands in sequence.

Sylvando juggles the knives with the same skill and fluidity that he juggled the balls, the movements almost hypnotizing to all the people in the crowd. Then, without warning, he suddenly throws the knives into the audience at a high arch, the blades glinting in the light. The people in the front rows start standing, gasping in alarm and fright, frozen in place and unable to flee. Yet before the knives have the chance to curve down, Sylvando breathes in deep and spews a stream of fire over the blades, causing them to disappear completely in the flames.

The audience is stunned into silence before erupting into a cacophony of cheers and screams of Sylvando’s name. The performer merely thanks the audience in return and takes a bow with the grace of a dancer, smiling all the while. When he rights himself, he waves to the crowd, sweeping his eyes over his adoring fans, but when his gaze settles on their little group, his eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. He blows a kiss to the audience, though Luminary and his companions know it’s really aimed at them more so than anyone else.

With a sly smile, Jade blows a kiss back. “Now that’s a pleasant surprise.”

“Do you know him?” Serena asks, interest lighting up her eyes. “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting a professional entertainer before.”

“ _Sylvando_ and I go way back. Now that I know he’s here, I plan on visiting him after the show.” Jade smiles over at Serena. “You can come with me, if you’d like. Little brother, you should come, too.”

“Sure.” Luminary didn’t have any other plans besides sleeping after the show, so joining Jade for a little while wasn’t a bother. “Erik, did you want to join?”

Erik’s eyes stay on the stage, though he shakes his head in response to Luminary’s question. “I think I’ll pass. The desert took a lot out of me, and I’m looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed too much.”

“Sleeping in a bed sounds amazing right now,” Veronica sighs wistfully. “I’ll be heading back to the inn after this.”

“In that case, I will accompany you back,” Hendrik says.

Veronica flutters her eyelashes at the knight and adds a mocking flirtatious tone to her voice. “Why, Sir Hendrik, how chivalrous of you.”

For a moment, Erik fakes a look of being completely scandalized, placing a hand delicately on his chest. “Am I not to get a personal detail as I travel alone in the dark?”

“Says the man with practically silent footsteps that makes a habit of sneaking up on people. Someone would have to _find_ you first in order to do any harm.”

“Eh, that’s fair.”

Clicking her tongue quietly, Jade catches the attention of her companions. “Let’s not be rude and focus back on the show, shall we?” Her words are enough to settle them down, and for the rest of the circus’ performance, they put their quest and the Sand National in the back of their minds.

* * *

As soon as Luminary, Serena, and Jade enter the staff area of the circus tent, Sylvando practically bounds right up to them, excitement radiating from his movements. “Honey, I was hoping that was really you! It has been far too long!”

Jade reaches out and hugs him as soon as he gets close, humming contentedly. “I hope you weren’t too worried when I didn’t respond to your letter. You know how it always gets busy in Heliodor around the time of the Gala, and I didn’t have an opportunity afterwards to write. Though I certainly wasn’t expecting to run into you here.”

“I was planning on making this circus my permanent stop, at least for a long while, but I guess you couldn’t have known that since you apparently left before my 2nd letter arrived. Anyway, don’t mind that, introduce me to your friends!” Sylvando pulls away from Jade’s hug, though he still holds onto her hands. With an ever-present smile on his face, he looks over at Serena and Luminary, eagerly awaiting to find out more about them.

“This is Serena,” Jade says, gesturing to the lone twin. “We actually met her at the Gala along with her twin sister Veronica. They travelled from Arboria and are the reason why we’re all on our journey right now. You would _adore_ listening to her play the harp.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Sylvando. Your performance was absolutely amazing! I was convinced that certain tricks had to have used magic.” Serena sees that Sylvando starts to reply, and she gasps to herself, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh! But don’t worry about me trying to figure out your secrets. Everything was just truly stunning.”

Sylvando waves off her concerns with a flip of his hand. “Darling, you are just the sweetest. I wasn’t worried at all.”

Directing Sylvando’s attention, Jade says with a small, mischievous smile on her face, “And I’m sure you remember my little brother, Prince Luminary of Dundrasil?”

Sylvando lets out a shocked gasp, covering his lips with both hands. “ _No_! You must be joking!” He rushes into Luminary’s personal space, holding onto the prince’s shoulders as Sylvando gives him a once over. “Honey, he’s so _tall_ now! Surely, this cannot be the princeling at your heels, but look at that mark! Yggdrasil, it _is_ you!”

Before Luminary can even reply, he is enveloped in a crushing hug, Sylvando’s mannerisms and personality hiding the latent strength in his build. Patting a hand on Sylvando’s back, the jester lets him go, though he still holds him by the shoulders. “I’m sorry, but I don’t quite remember you, though I’m happy to meet you again.”

“What a dear you are! And don’t bother your mind over remembering me. You were a tiny thing – barely up to my knee last I saw you. My, you look just like your mother, the Queen! The ladies must fawn all over you. But you mentioned a journey… You don’t mean as _The_ Luminary, do you?”

“Yes, actually,” Serena says. “We have already received the Red Orb of Heliodor, and we’re currently waiting to meet with the sultan of Gallopolis to retrieve the Rainbough that will hopefully help us find a way up to Yggdrasil. Our journey has been quite lively so far.”

“Oh my, I can imagine it would be with the way monster attacks have been increasing lately. It’s part of the reason why I wanted to settle down here for a time, though please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help! You know how much I love bringing a smile to your face.” Thinking to himself for a moment, Sylvando snaps his fingers as soon as an idea hits him. “You all are going to the Sand National tomorrow, _si_?”

“Yes, and we’ll be cheering on our favorite to win,” Jade says with a smirk at Luminary. She doesn’t bother to explain further.

“Wonderful! Then I shall join you. I will find your little group easily, so do not concern yourself with trying to wave me down. But it is so late, and I don’t want to keep you. Rest up, darlings, and I look forward to meeting your group properly.” Sylvando walks the trio to the exit, and with the blow of a kiss, he sees them off into the night.

* * *

Luminary hates the fact that Gallopolian royals do the race in full armor. Within the mail and helmet, the heat from the desert sun feels almost overwhelmingly oppressive, and it’s taking all of his willpower to not lift his face mask so he can stop breathing in his own hot air. Instead, he focuses on waving to the knights and townspeople as he passes by and finds cover in the shade until the race begins. ‘One race,’ he reminds himself, and Prince Faris didn’t even request that he takes first place.

One race. Three laps. Don’t come it last. It seems easy enough, but Luminary wishes this event was held at a reasonable time. Like the middle of the night when the sun _wasn’t_ directly above them. Maybe then he could concentrate more on this scheme and less on simply trying to not pass out. He just hopes the wind from riding will help keep him cool.

When it’s finally time, Luminary pulls his horse up to the starting line. He hears many of the people from the crowd cheering Prince Faris’ name, though there are some voices he can make out clearer than others. Veronica and Jade are cheering the loudest, though Erik, Serena, and Hendrik are doing their fair share. It’s strange - watching them cheer him another while really rooting for him. Then again, they’re just yelling variations of ‘Go Prince!’ so no one will suspect anything anyway. Though from what he can tell, Sylvando hasn’t joined them yet. There’s still time, and he pushes aside the thought for now.

Before Luminary gets a chance to start mentally preparing himself for the race, a flash of glittering and bright white and pink appears at his side. There in all his glory sits Sylvando on his horse, the mare completely decked out in extravagant feathers and decorations that remind Luminary of all flare of the circus. However, from what Luminary can tell, the mare is built for speed, and with the natural way Sylvando rides on her, he can tell the jester isn’t a man to be underestimated.

“Good afternoon, Prince Faris. Today is an absolutely lovely day for your debut!” Sylvando leans closer to Luminary, speaking lower so the other two contenders at the line don’t hear them. “My apologies for joining so late, but when I heard one of the riders fell ill, I couldn’t help myself. So, I signed up to take his place. Though I’m sure you’ll do just fine, even with the change being such an accomplished rider yourself.” Sitting straight up on his horse, Sylvando guides his mare into place with a practiced ease. “May the best man win today, Your Grace!”

Luminary can see why he and Jade get along so well - they have similar facial expressions when they know more than they’re letting on. Even if Sylvando knows of the swap, it doesn’t seem like he’s going to say anything about it. No time to worry.

Suddenly, he hears the Sultan of Gallopolis clear his throat, drawing the attention of all eyes in the stadium.

And the Sultan delivers one of the most bumbled speeches Luminary has ever heard.

‘He avoided us for that?’ Luminary asks himself, though the voice in his head suspiciously sounds like Veronica. He can only imagine what she and the rest of his companions are thinking with the way the Sultan stumbles over his words and pausing for almost embarrassingly long stretches of silence. It’s practically a blessing when the general announcer cuts off the Sultan, signifying that the race is about to begin.

With no more time to worry about Sylvando or the Gallopolian royalty, Luminary mentally readiest himself, doing the best to focus out all distractions. 

When he finally hears the bang signifying the start of the race, Luminary swiftly flicks the reins and kicks the flanks of his mount with his heels, spurring the stud to start galloping at a breakneck pace. Although this royal steed isn’t as familiar to him as his own mare back home, he can tell that the horse is an exceptional animal, responding to even the subtlest signals Luminary sends.

The track stretches and bends before him, giving Luminary little time to navigate any curves or obstacles in his way. By the middle of the first lap, he knows there are at least two riders behind him, but when he sees that familiar flash of pink out of the corner of his eye, he can’t help but watch as Sylvando speeds past him after his mare leaps off a ramp. Sylvando lands the jump at a length ahead of him with a cloud of dust being kicked up off the track. Neither slows down, and Luminary stays on his heels. From that point on, the Sand National is truly a race between Luminary and Sylvando, as they stay practically neck and neck with each other throughout the first and second laps.

If Prince Faris wanted a sensational debut, Luminary and Sylvando certainly deliver.

It isn’t until the final stretch when Luminary detects signs that Sylvando’s mare is starting to tire, her speed gradually dipping. It’s the only sign he needs. Lifting his body slightly off the horse and putting his weight into his feet, Luminary tries to cut down on the wind resistance against them as much as possible as he leans forward, hovering over his steed. He urges the stud to sprint as fast as he can, feeling the way the horse’s muscles nearly tremble with the strain. Sylvando is less than an arm’s distance away.

When they cross the finish line, there is less than a second between their times – it is Luminary who pulls out in front.

Cheers of Prince Faris’ name reach an almost deafening pitch, and as much as Luminary would love to catch his breath and bask in his victory, he is desperate to get out of the armor and switch with Faris before anyone catches on to what happened. He retreats back to the stables where he met up with Prince Faris that morning before anyone has a chance to corner and congratulate him on his win.

* * *

Luminary waits for the prince in the stables as Faris receives the recognition and reward for winning the Sand National. Mostly, Luminary is just happy to be out of the sun. The armor felt suffocating, and the race helped less than he hoped. After spending several minutes out of the helmet and just cooling down, he brushes his sweaty hair from his face and beings removing the Gallopolian royal armor, starting with his gauntlets.

The door slams open, and Price Faris excitedly rushes in. Faris immediately crowds his space and grasps Luminary’s hands between his. “Simply amazing! I didn’t expect you to win first place, but the most important part is that this plan _worked_! I cannot thank you enough, dear friend, and I will honor my end of the bargain.”

When Luminary opens his mouth to respond, he gets cut off by the sound of Sylvando waltzing into the room. “Absolutely stunning, Prince Faris! Your riding was even better than I – oh my… what do we have here?” He pauses, looking between Faris and Luminary with a frown crossing his features. “Oh darlings, please tell me you didn’t. Honestly, I was expecting something possible like this from Prince Faris, but Prince Luminary! I am _shocked_. Though that certainly would explain Jade’s look when she said they’d be cheering for their favorite...”

“You cannot tell anyone!” Prince Faris looks panicked, unsure of how Luminary and Sylvando know each other, but he realizes that what Sylvando knows is a threat. “I cannot possibly disappoint my parents and my public, and them knowing that I cannot ride would be devastating! A prince of Gallopolis who cannot ride? It is unheard of! You _must_ keep this knowledge to yourself.”

“Oh, I _must_? I thought those of the Gallopolian line all held true to the Knight’s Pledge, though all of this seems quite unknightly, _si_?” The look Sylvando gives Prince Faris is both knowing and cutting, as though he just confirmed a long-held suspicion and is disappointed in the results. “And what’s next? Keep meeting their expectations through underhanded means, and what happens when they ask the impossible? How long until they demand what you simply cannot give? What will you do then?”

Prince Faris struggles for an answer, not knowing how to reply but also not wanting to seem weak in front of the jester. With a huff, he chooses to ignore Sylvando altogether, even as his face blazes red with shame. He addresses Luminary with all his regal demeanor. “You have kept your end of the bargain, and so shall I. ‘A knight’s word is his bond,’ after all. Meet me in the castle tomorrow morning, and I will give you what you are owed.” With that, the prince marches out of the room past Sylvando, not bothering to acknowledge the man as he leaves.

“Oh dear.” Sylvando scowls for a moment longer at the door before turning back to Luminary. “Jade did mention that prince was a handful, and from what she’s told me, he’s roped you into things like this before. Do not worry - my lips are sealed for your sake. Come now, honey, let’s go meet up with your friends. I have no doubt they want to congratulate you.” He gives Luminary time to change before they leave to meet up with their companions.

As soon as they exit the stables, Serena and Veronica pounce on Luminary and give him a fierce hug. “That was incredible! I knew you were an experienced rider, but I never expected anything like that! You should compete more often.” Veronica’s eyes were sparkling with excitement as she spoke. “Now, if only Faris could be a tenth of the prince you are...”

“You were excellent as well, Mr. Sylvando!” Serena clasps her hands together with a bright smile. “We were all surprised when you were in the race, especially since you never said anything about it last night. I honestly wasn’t sure which one of you would win the entire time. It was very thrilling to watch!”

“Why thank you, darling! I am always happy to entertain. The switch was rather sudden, so I did not have time to explain. I’m just overjoyed that everything worked out.” Gesturing to the two men standing with Jade, Sylvando shines his smile on them. “Of course, I didn’t mean to be rude. It is a pleasure to meet you both. You may call me Sylvando, and I’m sure as friends of Jade and Prince Luminary, we will get along fabulously.”

“This is _Hendrik_ , Captain of the Knights of Heliodor,” Jade informs Sylvando with a look in her eyes that Luminary almost misses, “and this spiky fellow is Erik.”

“He’s a pirate,” Veronica supplies.

“A bad one,” Jade adds.

Erik starts to say something, but instead he just lets out an exasperated sigh and waves at Sylvando.

The performer chuckles to himself, thoroughly tickled pink by their antics. “A lively little group, indeed. Princess, I am happy you found so many wonderful friends.” He claps his hands together, a wide smile on his face. “Let me treat you all tonight in honor of our dear Luminary’s win, then you can tell me all about your adventures so far.”

* * *

After spending the night out on the town with Sylvando, the team heads back to the inn to rest up for their early morning meeting with the sultan. Fortunately, this meeting starts off much better than the previous one.

Bowing before his father, Prince Faris motions to the group standing behind him with Luminary at the front. “Prince Luminary of Dundrasil is here to speak with you about the Rainbough, Father.”

“Yes, I did receive the message from King Carnelian with word of your arrival. I apologize it’s taken this long to properly greet you, though I’ve heard that my son has taken it upon himself to provide you with our hospitality in my absence.” The Sultan pauses for a moment, his expression trying to hide the growing apprehension he feels. “You see, Prince Luminary-”

“Sire!” A lone knight rushes into the throne room, clothes torn and filthy, showing patches of bruised and cut skin beneath. He collapses onto his knees in front of the sultan, more out of exhaustion rather than propriety. He takes several gasping breaths, clutching his side to prevent his blood from spilling on the floor. “The Slayer of the Sands has returned!” Before the man collapses, Serena rushes over to him and starts healing the worst of his injuries.

The Sultan quickly rises from his throne, hands curled into fists at his side. “Without fail, the Slayer of the Sands tarnishes this joyous time of the year with a series of attacks. Every year, we huddle in fear.” Turning his gaze to Prince Faris, the Sultan reaches out a hand toward him. “My son, you have proven yourself in the Sand National, showing that you have surely taken the Knight’s Pledge to heart. I believe you are ready and the only one who can finally put an end to this terror.”

Horror grips Prince Faris, causing his muscles to lock up and tremble. Slowly lifting his head, his wide-eyed gaze fixes on the throne, unseeing anything in front of him. “F… Father…”

“Look! My boy trembles with excitement! Truly a model knight.” The Sultan beams down at his son, pride oozing from his features. “Take a team of our finest men with you, travel into the Celestial Sands, and slay this monster once and for all.”

Luminary watches the entire exchange with an almost surreal sense of detachment. He feels as though he’s the only one who can read between the lines of this conversation, fear that if he dives too deeply, he will develop a migraine that will never abate. The only one who possibly understands is Jade, and he knows it’s taking all of their royal etiquette training to prevent them from venting their frustrations.

This was supposed to resolve after one race. Now, things are about to get needlessly complicated.

Standing up on shaky feet, Prince Faris stiffly bows to the Sultan. “Of- of course. B-by your leave…” Rising up, he turns to head toward the knight’s practice area on the first floor of the castle. He moves like a puppet with its strings pulled taut. With a desperate look to Luminary, Prince Faris whispers to him as he walks by. “Meet me in my room as soon as you can.” With that, he makes his way down the stairs to the main hall, walking like a man who knows every step takes him closer and closer to his death.

“I’m sorry, Prince Luminary,” the Sultan begins as he sits back on his throne, “but until we deal with the Slayer of the Sands, I cannot devote my attention to anything else. You are welcome to stay in either the local inn or in the castle while you are here.” With that, the Sultan calls for the Chancellor, effectively dismissing Luminary and his group. Considering their previous experience with the Sultan, they know better than to try to force the meeting.

As they head down the stairs, Veronica huffs in annoyance, muttering to herself under her breath. “This is the most ridiculous kingdom I have ever seen. You would think being royalty _and_ The Luminary would count for something, but clearly that would be expecting too much.”

Jade walks close by Luminary’s side, each waiting for the other to state the obvious. Eventually, it is the princess who breaks the quiet. “You do realize what Faris is going to ask of you, right?”

“We’re going to have to kill the Slayer of the Sands for him, aren’t we.” It’s not a question, more of a confirmation of the trouble they’re walking straight into.

“I was expecting the usual tedious nonsense from him, but this is far beyond anything I was considering. Still…”

“If he asks for our help and we refuse him, there is a decent chance he and the men with him will die.”

Jade nods solemnly. “Let’s see what Faris has to say before we jump to conclusions.”

They descend the rest of the way in silence and make their way to Prince Faris’ room. As soon as his bedroom door clicks shut behind them, Faris throws himself onto the floor in front of Luminary, knees folded under his body, hands and head pressed to the floor. Though his words are muffled by his position, they can still clearly hear his words and pleading tone.

“You have to help me, Prince Luminary!” Lifting his head and his eyes lined with tears, Faris stares straight up at Luminary as though he is the only spark of salvation left in the world. In the back of his mind, Luminary hopes it’s a look he never gets used to. “The Slayer of the Sands is an unstoppable monster that has defeated many of our knights. The few that come back are lucky to have their lives, and some never fight again. If I go and try to fight this demon, I will be surely killed, but you! You are The Luminary! Yggdrasil’s Chosen! If anyone can defeat this beast, it’ll be you!”

Erik glares down at the man’s pitiful display, growing more and more tired with this royal family with each passing moment. “Your kingdom has a whole slew of knights. You guys can’t handle this?”

“You saw the man that managed to come back! He was one of the luckier ones, and you haven’t seen the recovered bodies of the men who couldn’t return on their own… The Slayer of the Sands is basically a legend in Gallopolis for its ferocity.”

“If this Slayer of the Sands is really as dangerous as they say, perhaps we should assist him,” Serena says as she glances down at the prince, concern coloring her features. She still has the soldier’s wounds fresh on her mind, the image of the scars he’ll carry lingering in her thoughts. He was honestly lucky to be alive at all, though she didn’t say as much to him.

“Faris, you can get up,” Jade says with a small frown, not wanting to lord over the man any longer. “Luminary and I already agreed to help you before you even asked. When are your men setting up to leave?”

“As soon as possible. There’s a camp within the Celestial Sands we want to reach before nightfall when the Spitfires start waking up.” Faris rises to his feel, still shaking, but more stable now that he knows Luminary and Jade will help him.

“I’m guessing Spitfires are also bad,” Veronica says.

“They’re wolf-dragons that live within the Celestial Sands, though the beasts are only active at night. If we make our way across the desert before dark, we can avoid having to fight them before we reach the Slayer of the Sand,” answers Hendrik.

“It’s good to know that we don’t have to worry about just a single monster trying to kill us. I was worried this was going to be easy.”

“ _Anyway_ ,” Jade cuts in before they start getting too far off topic, “we will meet up with your team just outside of the city gates. We’ll need to get some supplies before we head out.”

“Thank you, Princess Jade! Thank you so much! The man and I will be ready to leave as soon as you arrive.” After a deep bow, Prince Faris hurries from his room, moving faster than Jade and Luminary thought possible. 

Luminary glances over at Jade and gives her a shrug with a smile when she looks back. “Well, looks like we’re going to be monster hunters.”

* * *

As they had previously agreed, Prince Faris and his band of knights are waiting for them right outside the city gates. Faris is in the process of trying to placate his men’s fears, though he’s having little success.

“Forgive me, Prince, but this is a suicide mission! Every team that’s tried taking on the Slayer of the Sands has come back barely clinging to life, and that’s even if they come back at all!” The rest of the knights nod in agreement, all displaying various levels of fear and uncertainty.

“Worry not, for we will have The Luminary here to aid us, and he will defeat this beast.” Upon hearing footsteps behind him, Prince Faris turns and sees Luminary’s group approaching. “Ah, here they are! These heroes will guarantee our safety.”

“Oh darlings, you’re officially dubbed heroes now! How wonderful!” Luminary sharply turns his head to the side, surprised to see Sylvando standing among their group as though he always belonged there, packed and ready to go. “Soon, tales of your deeds might travel faster than you, though I’m positive you’ll be able to handle the fame.”

“Mr. Sylvando! Are you planning on joining us?” Serena asks. “It’ll be very dangerous, if the Slayer of the Sands is truly as horrible as everyone says.”

“Oh, he is fearsome, but don’t mind your pretty head about it. I’m able to handle myself and make sure you stay safe.” His smile is sweet and self-assured, showing a level of confidence that manages to lack any sign of arrogance.

Luminary won’t turn down additional help, especially since they have no idea what they’re walking into, but that doesn’t make the performer’s appearance less of a surprise. “How did you even know we would be here?”

“Once I heard the Slayer of the Sands attacked, I had no doubt your talents would be… ‘recruited,’ let’s say, to assist, and I did say I would offer to help in any way that I could, yes? So here I am! Sylvando, here to help.”

“See?” Prince Faris says, turning back to his men. “We’ll have plenty of protection to keep us safe and defeat the Slayer of the Sands. Come now, to the Celestial Sands!” Without further ado, the Gallopolian prince starts marching to their destination while his group of knights stare after him with a combination of disbelief and resignation. Packing up their equipment, they trail after their liege into the desert.

Luminary’s group sets out after them, making their way deeper into the desert and through the Celestial Sands. They travel as a group, warding off monsters as they go, while keeping an eye on the sun to make sure they arrive to the camp in time. In the distance, they can see the campsite they’re resting at for the night, but Luminary finds his focus keeps shifting to the massive ruins in the center of the Celestial Sands He feels drawn to them, the stones cracked and decaying with age, and it’s not until he realizes that he’s walked to their very center that he deviated from the group at all. 

The ruins are nothing more than stone pillars worn down by time, arranged in a circle on a raised platform. Many of the pillars are missing pieces or tilted to the side, on the verge of collapse, but regardless, they stay standing. He drifts closer to the pillars, transfixed on the markings that scar each one. Carved into their stone near the base are images of a humanoid looking monster surrounded by ancient text that repeats itself over and over. Although he cannot read the script around the carvings, Luminary draws closer still, reaching out to touch the image. He can feel his heart start racing as soon as his fingers on his left hand start tracing over the grooves. 

There’s a sense of urgency he feels here that hasn’t been present anywhere else, like something is trying to capture his attention, though he’s not sure what. The longer he touches the image, the more the mark of Yggdrasil on his hand starts aching, until it throbs to the same rhythm of his frantic heart, almost transforming into a burning sensation. A warning, a _memory_ just out of reach, though he can’t tell if his mind is straining to reach it or force it away. It feels like claws digging deeper, inching up his throat, choking him on his own-

“You okay?” Even though Erik’s voice is hushed, Luminary jumps at the sound, ripping his hand away from the pillar and staring at Erik with wide eyes. Erik leans close, searching for any obvious signs of harm or distress and finding none. Concern flashes in his eyes as he looks over Luminary’s face, noticing how hurriedly the prince is breathing, how pale he looks. “You wandered up here without saying anything to anyone, almost like you were in a daze. I know it’s getting pretty late, but if you wanted to come check this place out, you could have asked.”

Luminary shakes his head as he tries to gather himself, though he can still feel the sweat beading around his brow and the pounding of his blood in his ears. When he speaks, his voice almost sounds hoarse, and Luminary hopes that Erik just believes he’s parched. “I’m fine… It’s just impressive that something this old has lasted so long in these conditions. I couldn’t help but want to look around, you know?”

Erik looks more skeptical and concerned than what Luminary was aiming for. “Yeah… this place does look like it’s seen better days, but you sure you’re alright? You’re pretty pale for a person who’s been in the sun all day.” Erik’s giving him an out, if he wants it, and he takes it gladly. Until Luminary can explain what just happened to begin with, he wants to keep his mild panic attack to himself.

“Just too much heat. I’ll drink something and be okay.” Luminary walks away from the carvings, knowing Erik is still lingering close by his side. “Have you had a chance to look straight up when you stand in the center?”

“And look at the sun? I think I’ll pass – I heard it’s not good for you anyway.”

“Maybe if were exactly noon, I wouldn’t recommend it, but late dusk like this? Look.” He guides Erik to the center of the structure and points straight up at the sky above them. The sun is still too high for all of them to be visible, but one by one, stars start appearing in the growing darkness, casting their light down on them. However, Erik knows that’s not what Luminary wants him to pay attention to.

In the middle of the sky shining directly above them is the red star, the one that shines so brightly, it can even be easily seen during the day – Erdwin’s Lantern. Rumored to be the soul of the last Luminary, its light shines consistently over all of Erdrea, protecting it from the dark forces that plagued the world centuries ago. Ever since the monsters started showing up again in greater numbers, Luminary has heard people mention that the star seems to glow brighter and larger than before. Now that they’re seeing it for themselves, Luminary knows exactly what they mean.

He looks away from Erdwin’s Lantern before Erik when he starts to feel the strange sensations from the carvings building up inside of him again. Instead, he focuses his attention on Erik and the way he looks purely amazed, as though he never had the chance to simply gaze up at the evening sky before. “Beautiful…”

Erik moves his gaze from the sky and grins wide enough at Luminary that the prince can see his teeth. “It really is. Thanks for showing this to me, partner.”

Luminary still feels off enough to not properly flush in embarrassment like he usually would, but the telltale warmth still flutters in his stomach. He’d rather concentrate on that feeling for now. “Of course.”

* * *

Prince Faris’ group is still on edge by the time everyone finishes setting up camp and settling down for the night. Luminary wishes he could do more to assuage their fears, but there is only so much he can say and do for men who honestly believe they are going to die before the next time the sun sets.

He tries to focus on preparing himself instead for the challenge tomorrow will bring. There are few stories of what the Slayer of the Sands even looks like since most of them speak of attacks that come from seemingly nowhere and battles that end just as quickly as they begin. The only calming thought he has is that facing this Slayer will be like a test to see if he’s ready to face off against an even greater unknown.

Luminary works tirelessly at the forge, making sure all of their weapons and armor are strengthened for the fight. He’s at it for so long that the soreness in his arms have faded into a muted sensation, and the slam of the hammer matches with the speed of his breath. He finds the constant motions and modifications are almost like a moving meditation Master Pang taught him, and it helps clear his mind faster than anything else he has tried.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Jade walk up next to him, sitting down on a boulder quietly while she watches him work. Moments like this between them have become increasingly rare, and Luminary smiles to himself, happy with the idea that Jade seems to have missed them as well. There is no real way to measure the passage of time. Instead, he pays attention to the number of pieces he finishes forging, using them as a way to mark progress.

He sets the hammer down and wipes his brow, inspecting the weapon with his hands before smiling to himself in satisfaction. After determining they turned out exactly as well as he hoped, Luminary hands the pair of claws to Jade, both of them noticing how the blades gleam in the firelight. “Your old pair was practically scrap metal. When I saw these in town, I thought I could fine tune them a bit before giving them to you.”

Jade takes the claws, sliding them onto her hands to test their feel. They’re lighter than her previous ones, but the blades are newly sharpened. By the way they fit snugly up to her wrists, she can tell they’re much sturdier. A grin splits her face as she admires the claws on her fists. “You always know what to get a girl. They’re fantastic.” She looks down at the large pile of finished items on the other side of the forge, letting out a low whistle. “You don’t want to leave anything to chance, huh?”

“Wasn’t planning on it, especially with how little information we have to go on. I can always compromise the integrity of your armor, if you want.”

“I think I’ll be fine.” Jade pats the spot next to her on the boulder, and Luminary gets up and plants himself onto the rock, letting Jade rest her head on his shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I should have known you would notice… Was I that obvious?”

“I don’t think so. I mainly know what to look for, so I could tell something was off the closer we got to those ruins. Considering that Erik approached you in there, I’m assuming he noticed as well. Then again, he typically watches you like a hawk, so if he didn’t notice, I’d be surprised.”

It takes every inch of his will to prevent the question, ‘He does?’ from slipping out his mouth. Instead, Luminary coughs into his hand and stores that bit of information in the back of his mind. “He did ask if I was feeling okay. I’m not sure what happened, really, but I do feel better now.”

Jade lets out a quiet hum in acknowledgement. “Worked it out through the metal?”

“It was actually very relaxing. Got to beat out my frustrations and create something new.”

“You should really think about how you want to word things, little brother.”

“ _I_ was talking about forging weapons and armor for our potentially fatal battle tomorrow. I have no idea what you’re referring to, for as a man of royal blood, I _never_ have impure meanings behind my words.”

“Not that you don’t want to with a choice individual.”

“Listen here, you-”

Jade’s peals of laughter ring out into the night, causing Luminary to start chuckling with her, the last of the stress leaving his body. They stay huddled together on the boulder as their laughs slowly peter out. The sounds of the others in the camp surround them like a comforting buffer, allowing them to appreciate this stolen moment together.

Several minutes of companionable silence pass them by before either of them dares to disturb it. Turning her head up slightly, she peers carefully at Luminary’s face, looking for any additional signs of unease or hesitation. “We’re all here for you, you know,” she whispers, watching his reaction. “And I don’t mean as The Luminary or as the Prince of Dundrasil. We’re here for _you_ , little brother, so don’t be afraid to lean on us.”

Wrapping an arm around Jade’s back, Luminary hugs her a bit tighter against his side as he rests his head on top of hers. “Thank you, big sister. I’ll never forget.” He knows Jade won’t pry further, choosing to wait patiently until he is ready.

They don’t feel a need to talk for the rest of the night, simply enjoying each other’s company and the soft sounds around them.

* * *

They set out early in the morning, breaking camp as soon as the Spitfires in the area are officially asleep. They trek through a small cavern leading up a mountain until they end up on a plateau overlooking the desert. The night before, one of Faris’ men explained that this plateau was where the Slayer of the Sands retreats to after battle. They assume its lair is near here, though few men have ventured into this area willingly, and those who did never returned.

Faris’ knights scout ahead first, fanning out in the area and searching for any signs of the monster. Luminary and his group stood battle ready near the cavern entrance, watching the entire area in case if the Slayer appeared where they least expected it. Though their search is thorough and covers the entire plateau, no trace of the monster can be found. They meet in the center of the area to discuss their next move.

Placing his hands on his hips, Prince Faris barks out a laugh and looks out at the empty desert around him. “No Slayer of the Sands? He must have gotten scared once he knew we were coming and fled! Let us return to Gallopolis and give the good news to Father!” 

“Are you certain that’s wise?” Jade asks, her guard still up and alert. “We have no confirmation on where this monster is, and if it’s truly in hiding, us leaving will only cause it to attack again later.”

“If he is that scared to face us now, then he’ll know better than to attack our great city and its people again.” Prince Faris gives Jade a cocky smirk. “Monsters know when they’ve been bested.”

Looking at the knights behind Faris, Luminary can see the fear in their eyes even as they stare hopefully at their prince. Whether they really believe him or are simply comforted by his words, Luminary isn’t sure, but he’s also cautious to publicly dress down Prince Faris, knowing the damage it might cause if he were to lose face here. Still, he agrees with Jade. “We should wait a bit longer - in case if the Slayer hasn’t returned yet.”

“The monster won’t show, and we’re wasting our time in this dusty desert. Let’s go men!” He starts marching toward the cavern entrance, the knights hastily running behind him, all too eager to leave this den.

A low rumble starts shaking the ground beneath them, and as a muffled growl grows louder, the intensity of shaking increases. Before anyone has a chance to fully understand what is happening, a giant scorpion-like creature bursts forth from the desert sand, effectively cutting off their route of escape. The monster rears back when it fully emerges, stretching its front, clawed arms wide as its hideous shriek pierces the sky.

“The Slayer of the Sands…” Hendrik draws his sword, rushing forward to place himself between the Slayer and Prince Faris. Luminary and the rest of his team ready their weapons and join Hendrik, forming a protective wall between the monster and the Gallopolian knights. They don’t wait for the knights to act.

“Veronica, try to pin it down!” Luminary calls out, lightning gathering in his hands. “We need to limit this thing’s movement!” Pushing his hands forward, bolts of lightning strike the monster, causing it to let out another blood-curling scream filled with pain and rage.

“One fireball coming right up!” The glow of Serena’s Accelerate magic surrounds Veronica as flames build and take shape in her hands. With a shout, she launches the fireball at the sand beneath the monster, melting the granules together before Serena’s wind magic follows suit, hardening the liquid into glass and trapping the Slayer’s feet within.

Erik slides on the newly formed sheet of glass beneath the monster’s body and uses his knives to slash the tendons in its legs along the way, causing the monster to buckle forward onto its knees. When he comes up on the other side of the Slayer, he rolls away just in time to avoid its massive tail from slamming down on him, stinger first.

A giant claw swings down at Jade, but Hendrik jumps in front of her, deflecting the strike with his shield. The weight of the hit almost knocks him off his feet, but he stands his ground, absorbing the full shock of the blow. Launching herself over Hendrik’s crouched form, Jade runs forward and swipes at two of the Slayer’s legs on the outside, finishing what Erik started by completely severing the legs from the rest of the body.

When Jade looks up from her work, she sees Sylvando had a similar idea, severing two of the Slayer’s legs on the other side with his sword. She can barely see the blade with how swift and fluid Sylvando’s movements are; she’s only able to tell where it is by the flashes of sunlight glinting off the blade. Sylvando flips out of the way when the Slayer’s other claw comes crashing down, creating a spray of sand in its wake.

With fewer than half of its legs to stand on, the Slayer of the Sands completely topples forward, screeching in protest. It writhes against the ground, furiously swiping its tail back and forth, creating distance between the group and itself. Digging its claws into the sand, the Slayer tries pushing its body off the ground, hissing fiercely at its limited movement. Looking past the rest of the group, the Slayer sets its eyes on Luminary, who is near the back with Veronica and Serena.

All three of them gather magic between their palms, glowing with an ethereal light. Suddenly, Luminary and Serena channel their magical energy into Veronica, causing her body to flare with a golden glow. Feeling the hum of Serena and Luminary’s magic singing in her veins, she takes the ball of magical energy into her hands, Veronica opens her eyes and splits it into two, controlling two massive fireballs in her palms. With a self-assured smirk, she hurls the fireballs at the Slayer, causing the entire monster’s body to be consumed by flames.

As the fire burns against the Slayer’s body, they watch the monster thrash uselessly on the ground, letting loose one ear-splitting scream after another before it finally runs out of energy and falls limp on the ground. They wait a few, tense seconds to make sure the monster is truly defeated before Serena summons a gush of wind to extinguish the flames. Burnt and broken, the Slayer of the Sands lies still on the desert floor.

Pulling out a chain, Sylvando walks toward the fallen monster. “Now, let’s wrap this up all nice and neat, shall we? We don’t want the beasty getting away.”

“Do you really think it’s still alive?” Veronica asks dubiously.

“It’s always better to be safe than sorry, honey.” Sylvando wraps the chains around the Slayer of the Sands multiple times before helping the Gallopolian knights secure the monster to their supply cart.

Prince Faris rushes to the cart, looking over the monster with a sense of fear and awe. When he sees that the creature doesn’t react to his presence, he grins gleefully and struts forward to stand in front of his men. “Finally! The Slayer is defeated, and I can return victorious to my father!” Moving in front of the cart, he points in the general direction of Gallopolis, his smile beaming as brightly as the sun. “Let’s be off, men, and tell Gallopolis of my heroic deeds!” No one bothers to correct him.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Sylvando watches with a look of disapproval as the Gallopolian group starts heading back to the city. “Remember what I said before, dear Prince. Do not think this will be the most they ask of you.” The slight falter in Prince Faris’ step is the only indication he heard Sylvando’s words. 

The performer sighs and brushes a stray hair away from his face. He gives Luminary and Jade an apologetic smile. “I wish I could travel back with you, darlings, but someone needs to keep an eye on His Highness and makes sure he stays out of trouble. Jade, honey, please come and see me again before you leave, _si_?” With a wink and a blown kiss, Sylvando follows the prince and his knights back to through the desert.

“Is it really so much to ask that we at least get credit for our hard work? Or even a ‘thank you’?” Veronica asks mostly to herself. 

Serena places a soothing hand on her sister’s back, trying to rub away the tension there. “At least we protected the citizens from a horrible monster attack. We’ll just have to be satisfied with that.”

“I honestly won’t be satisfied until we get our hands on that Rainbough.” Erik idly flips one of his knives in his hand, the action that Luminary associates with Erik when he’s deep in thought or on the edge of agitation. “Though considering how troublesome this entire visit has been, I don’t think it’ll be an easy ‘walk in, receive Rainbough’ transaction.”

“Hey, don’t steal my lines,” Luminary pouts.

“What? It was true then, and it’s true now. Consider it an homage.”

“Normally, I would call you both overly pessimistic, but I’m inclined to agree,” Jade says, tapping her finger against her elbow and ignoring their bickering. “Something about the Sultan’s face when we requested it didn’t sit right with me.”

“Whatever the result, we should at least return to Gallopolis to rest and be out of the sun.” Hendrik uses his shield to block the sun from view, and honestly, Luminary isn’t sure how the man hasn’t passed out from heatstroke yet considering the amount of armor he’s still wearing.

“In that case, let’s make this trip as short as possible.” Luminary reaches out a hand to Jade, and she grasps it without hesitation.

Jade grabs onto Hendrik’s hand, and the rest of the group wordlessly follows suit, even if they’re not quite sure what’s going on. The circle finally completes itself when Erik fits his palm against Luminary’s, looking at the prince’s face with a hint of confusion in his expression.

“No need to be concerned. At worst, you might tingle a little bit.” Luminary gives Erik one last smile of reassurance before he closes his eyes and starts channeling a bit of his magic into each of his companions. Soon, a bright flash of blue light envelops them all, blocking out any view of the desert around them. When the light dissipates, the group finds themselves standing just outside of the Gallopolis city gates, standing in the exact formation they were back in the Celestial Sands.

Veronica looks around them with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded by the speed of their travel. “If you could do that the whole time, then why have we been walking?! We could have teleported here in the first place!”

Dropping Jade’s hand, Luminary sheepishly scratches the back of his head. “Well, I can only travel to places like this when I’ve been there before.”

“Yes, and you told us that you spent time here when you were younger,” she counters with an edge of irritation in her tone.

“I didn’t know the spell at the time, so the ‘travel path’ didn’t exist then. The only places I can go at the moment are Dundrasil, Heliodor, and all the place we’ve been to so far.”

She calms down at his explanation, mulling over his words with her technical magical knowledge. “So basically, you can go back, but you can’t just whoosh us there to start?”

“Essentially.”

Veronica just huffs and places her hands on her hips. “Well, at least it’s not completely useless.”

“Thanks? It’s always a pleasure, Veronica.” He smiles back at her when she sticks her tongue out at him, knowing that she finds this ability a lot more useful than she lets on. He’s proud that he’s getting better at reading between the lines with her.

“I’ve never heard of that kind of magic before!” Serena says with excitement clear in her voice. “It must be exclusive to The Luminary. What is the name of the spell?”

Luminary’s smile brightens and holds a sense of childish pride. “I call it ‘Zoom’!” Even as both Veronica and Serena are trying to stifle their giggles at the name, neither of them comments on the silliness of it directly.

“Absolutely lovely!”

“Now that we’re back here, we should see if Prince Faris and company have safely returned.” Jade stretches her arms over her head, stretching out her muscles that always feel a bit stiff after experiencing Zoom. Before she starts to enter the city, she nudges Luminary with her shoulder just enough to get his attention. When she catches his eyes looking back at her, she gives him a silent and coy grin that manages to speak volumes when her eyes lead his gaze down to his hand.

His hand that is very much still clasped with Erik’s though neither of them are holding onto anyone else.

A fierce blush claws its way up Luminary’s neck, practically turning his entire face red. He drops Erik’s hand with a force that is just shy of a throw and turns away stiffly to avoid any look Erik might give him. “We have a sultan to meet! So let’s go. Do that. Go meet the sultan.” Grabbing Jade’s arm, he drags her along with him into the city before he can say anything else completely stupid.

* * *

Their reprieve is short lived. 

They arrive just in time to see Prince Faris present the Slayer of the Sands to his father and their people, explaining in dramatic detail how he managed to fell the monster. They can’t hear specifically what he’s saying too clearly due to the large crowd of citizens gathered in the main plaza celebrate Prince Faris’ triumphant return. Many of them cheer Prince Faris’ name, extolling him for his bravery and heroism. It’s a sight that makes Veronica fake gag, but they all know they need to wait it out until the Sultan is free to speak again.

It’s only when the Slayer of the Sands starts moving that Luminary can tell everything is about to go horribly wrong. He barely has time to alert his team before the creature breaks free from its chains and bellows with rage. Within seconds, the citizens in the square start panicking, most of them fleeing from the scene as quickly as possible without any regard for those around them. The people closest to the gate block the group in, crushed together as some try to escape out of the city when there’s nowhere else to go. Luminary and the rest try to break free, but the frenzied crowd just moves with them, effectively locking them in place.

Those who cannot or won’t run from the monster clamor for Prince Faris to defeat the monster and save the city, their cheers and shouts gradually turning into a chant of his name. 

The Slayer tries to move from the cart he was dragged in on, but its missing limbs hamper its movement. What it lacks in mobility, it makes up with in ferocity and recklessness, lashing out at anything that comes within its range.

Prince Faris cowers in fear, backing away from the monster that grows increasingly enraged with every passing second. He stumbles over his quaking feet, falling back on his behind. The Sultan looks at him in surprise, not knowing why his fearless son isn’t confronting the Slayer directly. “Why are you hesitating, my boy? Protect our people and show them the kind of desert knight you truly are!”

Faris simply looks up at his father with sheer terror in his eyes. “F-Father… I… I-”

Before Prince Faris has a chance to fully speak, Sylvando’s voice booms across the square, capturing the attention of all those who can hear. “Recite the Knight’s Pledge!”

Turning his eyes to the source of the sound, Faris sees Sylvando standing on top of a nearby building, his stance almost regal with his rapier glittering in the sun. “A… A knight’s word is his bond… his kingdom his master…”

Sylvando points his blade at the prince, voice hard as steel. “Well? Do you not remember the rest?”

Slowly standing to his feet, Faris continues the pledge, his words gradually gaining strength as he speaks. “He… serves the weak untiringly… challenges the strong unflinchingly. And… never retreats in the face of adversity!”

Sylvando’s smile is radiant and he watches the fear bleed from Faris’ posture. “Wonderful, my dear Princey-poo! Now, are you going to continue cowering like a child, or do you want to be a hero ‘til the last?”

Prince Faris looks away from Sylvando, drawing his sword as he glares at the Slayer of the Sands. “I want to be a true knight of Gallopolis!” With a battle cry, Faris rushes forward to the Slayer, striking it with his sword. The creature takes the brunt of the attack with its claw, deflecting most of the damage. Hissing at the prince, the Slayer lashes out with its tail, knocking Faris down and forcing the sword from his hand.

As the Slayer raises his tail for a final strike, Sylvando leaps from his perch, landing on the beast’s back. He plunges his rapier into the Slayer’s neck, holding steady as it thrashes one last time before it falls still and dissipates in a cloud of dark, purple smoke. With a flourish of his blade, Sylvando sheaths the rapier at his hip and hops off the cart to stand before Faris. “That was truly marvelous, darling! That was courage befitting of a knight. However, you won’t always have someone to remind you of what holding true to the pledge really means, so don’t go forgetting it, you hear?” He lightly taps Faris’ cheek with his finger.

As Sylvando starts to walk away, Faris stops him with his words. “Wait! How are you so versed in chivalry and swordplay? You know the pledge by heart as well… are you really a knight?”

Sylvando looks over his shoulder and places a hand delicately on his chest. “Me? Oh, honey, I am just a simple jester.” With a wave and a wink, Sylvando disappears into the thinning crowd, maneuvering his way through until he reaches Luminary’s group. “Goodness, darlings, I’m glad to see you stayed safe in all this chaos! I was afraid a stampede was going to happen.”

“It was a close thing,” Luminary says, finally able to move without being crushed on all sides.

“It’s good to see you still know how to make an entrance. I guess you considering just walking up and killing the thing to be too boring,” Jade says with a smirk. She is the only one of the group that remains completely unfazed by his actions.

Sylvando waves her off. “What can I say? I am a performer after all, but everything turned out well, yes? And hopefully, our resident prince will be better for it.” With a motion to follow him, he starts carving a path through the remaining crowd. “Come, I’ll entertain you all while the royals clean up this mess, then you can have your meeting with the Sultan.”

* * *

When the group finally has a proper meeting with the sultan, it starts with Prince Faris revealing everything – from the way Luminary took his place in the Sand National to them being the ones to defeat the Slayer of the Sands. The Sultan listens to it all, calmly nodding along with a reflective look. At the end, he lets out a long sigh and stands before Luminary and Jade with his son still kneeling at his side. The Sultan bows deeply before them, his hand resting on Faris’ shoulder.

“Please accept my sincerest apologies, Prince Luminary and Princess Jade. I have failed as both a ruler for not seeing through my son’s deceptions as he roped you into his plots, but more than that, I have failed as a father for putting such an undue burden on him. I should have noticed the stress we were inflicting on him through our demands, and I feel we are to blame for his short comings. Regardless, we and the people of Gallopolis cannot thank you enough for your deeds in attempting to assist Faris and by felling the Slayer of the Sands. We are forever in your debt.”

“There’s no need for the excessive formalities. We were more than willing to assist.” Luminary watches as his words and expression puts the two royals at ease, both of them finally looking him in the face, though they still seem a bit abashed. “While I hope I won’t have to stand in for Prince Faris again, I am relieved that you will no longer have to worry about the Slayer of the Sands plaguing your annual celebration.”

“Though, forgive my rudeness,” Jade cuts in, “we still have the urgent matter of recovering the Rainbough. I believe when we last met, you were going to speak about it. If possible, we would like to have it so that we may continue on our journey.”

“Yes, the Rainbough…” The sultan closes his eyes and steels himself until he has the courage to look at Jade again. “Unfortunately, Princess, your father’s letter arrived too late. By the time we received the missive from King Carnelian, we had already sold the Rainbough to a travelling merchant.”

“Father, you sold the Rainbough?!” Faris looks up in alarm at his father before nervously looking at Luminary again. Throwing himself back on the ground, he bows his head to the floor. “Forgive me, Prince Luminary! I was completely unaware that my father had sold the Rainbough, for I was always told it was a priceless artifact from Yggdrasil herself. Father, how could you sell it?!”

“Boy, did you not see the extravagance of the Sand National this year? It was the only way we could afford this year’s celebration, especially considering you are finally of age!” Collecting himself again, the Sultan addresses Jade. “I do not know where he was ultimately heading, but the merchant went to Gondolia to acquire a boat after leaving here. Hopefully, there is still enough time to catch up with him or at least find out where he went.”

“We were planning on heading to Gondolia anyway,” Jade points out, though the hint of annoyance is still clear in her tone. “This just means we’ll be looking for the merchant as well as a boat.”

Prince Faris hurries to his feet, looking for a way to salvage this situation as best as he can. “I will still give you everything else I promised! I’m sure Father will be more than willing to give you a pass to proceed through our border, and you will have as many horses as you need to ease your travels.” Glancing at his father for approval, his body nearly sags with relief when he sees the Sultan nod in agreement.

“If Faris gave you his word, then I will honor it. Speak to the Chancellor when you leave, and he will ready the pass and the horses for you. If there is anything else you require for your journey, we will strive to provide it for you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Luminary bows out of respect before leading the team out of the throne room in search of the Chancellor.

* * *

“ _Finally_.” Veronica trots out of the city gates ahead of the group, letting herself get used to being on horseback. “If we ever have to come back here, it’ll be too soon.”

“It wasn’t all bad. We did get to see Sylvando perform, and I would love to see it again.” Serena looks back at Gallopolis where they can still see the highest flag on the Big Top, lurking over the city’s wall. “Plus, I’m sure we’ll want to visit him in general.”

“Had I known you would miss me so much, I would have offered to join you all sooner,” Sylvando says as he rides up next to Serena on his mare still decked out in her circus plumage.

“Sylvando! I didn’t know you were planning on coming with us! What about the circus?” Serena asks. “I thought you were planning on settling down here.”

“Like he was going to pass up the chance to come with us,” Jade says, coming up next to them. “I could tell he was way too intrigued after fighting with us in the Celestial Sands.”

“Don’t go giving away all my secrets, honey, though you are right that I couldn’t turn a blind eye to your little group. After all, protecting The Luminary is an important job, and what could be more deserving of my time than helping him defeat the evil that threatens everyone’s smiles? Nothing, I assure you.” Pulling his mare closer to Jade’s, Sylvando leans over and whispers to her, “Plus, there’s no way I don’t want to see how _that_ is going to evolve.” His eyes flicker over to where Luminary and Erik are, the two talking among themselves as they make sure they have everything they need for the trip.

“They’re painfully obvious, aren’t they?”

“Darling, _please_. Let’s not tease them too much, hmm?” Raising his voice to a normal level, he calls out to Luminary to get his attention. “You dears are on your way to Gondolia, yes? Luckily for you, I have a boat currently moored at their dock. As soon as you’re ready to leave the port, we can head anywhere you want.”

“An experienced swordsman and you have your own ship?” Hendrik asks, though the words are more to himself. “It’s rare to see a performer with such talents and wealth. Where do you originate from?”

“We have plenty of time to get to know each other better on our trip,” Sylvando says with a wink, completely dodging the question. “Let’s not spoil all the surprises at the very beginning, shall we?”

“Well, there’s no point baking in the sun while we talk. We should be able to reach Gondolia before nightfall.” Erik smirks over at Luminary, waiting for his direction. “Lead the way, partner.”

With a nod and the kick of his heels against his steed, Luminary leads his party further into the desert, away from the oasis capitol toward a city on the edge of the sea.


	4. Chapter 4

Compared to the blazing sun and dry heat of the Gallopolian desert, the temperate and breezy climate of the Gondolian region feels like paradise. The faint taste of salt in the air from the ocean fills Luminary with a sense of calm that he hasn’t felt for weeks. Were they not looking for a merchant and preparing to set sail as quickly as possible, Luminary would consider idling a few days away here, enjoying the bustling port town. Of course, he is rapidly learning that the world doesn’t care at all for their time table.

“My apologies, Signor Sylvando, but until la competizione is over, the port is closed to everyone.”

“You know, I felt the beginning of this journey was too easy,” Erik says with a look of resignation and annoyance on his face. “I have a feeling from now on, it won’t be nearly as quick and simple as it was in Cobblestone.”

“Just means we get to do a bit of sightseeing as we go,” Veronica says, eager to go exploring around the town. “Don’t be such a spoilsport.”

“Yes, because visiting tourist attractions and sampling local goods will help us find the Rainbough. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find the Great Evil we need to defeat resting in the same hotel!” Veronica glares and opens her mouth to snipe back, but Sylvando steps in before they make a scene.

“Hush, darlings. We’ll have all the time in the world to bicker like siblings on the ship. Now…” Sylvando turns his attention back to the dock worker. “… tell me more about this ‘competition’ of yours.”

“ _Si_!” The dock worker’s face practically lights up when asked about the competition, eager to share the city’s culture with newcomers. “It is the Signor Universo, a molto importante event to the people of Gondolia! Men of all ages compete to show they are as powerful and graceful as the sea! You have seen many strong and admirable men in town, _no_? They are here for la competizione.”

“Ooo, I always love a good pageantry!” Sylvando says while clapping his hands excitedly. “Tell me – do you need to be a local to compete?”

“Sylvando…” Erik says warningly, not liking where this is clearly leading.

“Absolutely not, signor! Men come from all around Erdrea to compete! There is still time to sign up, if you are interested.”

“What a lovely thought. Thank you for the information.” Sylvando faces Luminary and the rest of the group with a wicked smile on his face. 

If Erik were a cat, Luminary is sure all his hair would be standing on end with the way he backs up and glares at the jester. “ _No_.”

“Honey, whatever is that look for?” Sylvando’s voice is all fake innocence, quickly seeing that he’ll need to switch tactics if he wants Erik to comply. “I was simply going to ask if anyone would like to join me while I go look around town.”

“Did you forget we’re supposed to be looking for a merchant who might have the Rainbough? The main reason why we came here?” Erik asks, his agitation starting to crest like a wave.

“Which we have plenty of time to do while we’re waiting for Signor Universo to be over. No point in not enjoying ourselves a little while we’re here. Oh Veronica, he _is_ a spoilsport.” Sylvando shoos Erik away with his hand, ignoring the gobsmacked look Erik gives him, and focuses his attention on the twins. “Ladies, would you like to join me for a stroll about town? I heard there is a fantastic bakery here, and I’ve been looking forward to tasting their pastries since I missed out the last time I was here.”

“Well, I am feeling a bit peckish…” Veronica says as she unconsciously rubs her stomach.

“Could we possibly look at all the street vendors as well?” Serena asks. “They seem to have all sorts of goodies and wares, and since we have the time, it would be a shame to not browse a bit.”

“Perfect!” Sylvando clasps his hands together in excitement and then turns his gaze on Jade with a knowing glint in his eyes. “Jade darling, are you coming along as well?”

“You know I’m not one for sweets,” Jade says, “though I certainly would like to check out their armory and weapon supplies, and I wouldn’t mind navigating through the town on the boat channels they have set up.” She watches Sylvando’s reaction carefully, the two of them having a rapid, silent conversation before she smirks and nods at her partner in crime. She looks over her shoulder at Hendrik, motioning for him to come with her. “Hendrik, why don’t you join me? I could use your expert eye when looking at new armor, and we can find out more information about the Signor Universo competition while we’re at it.”

“Of course, and I could use a new shield as well after our battle with the Slayer of the Sands.” Hendrik readjusts his sword and shield on his back, wary of the fraying straps holding them up. “I suggest we meet at the city’s stage in the evening. From what I can tell, it is where the Signor Universo competition will be held.”

“In that case, I’ll go asking around town to see if I can gather any information on this travelling merchant and the Rainbough, since I’m the only one who seems to care,” Erik says as he stares out at the sea with a slightly pensive air about him. Even though his words belie his irritation, his tone comes off as absent instead.

Aside from his previous quips with Veronica, the closer they’ve gotten to the water, the more on edge and reflective Erik seemed, so Luminary feels inclined to help him clear his mind as much as possible. “I’ll go with Erik. People might be more willing to talk to someone who doesn’t look like they’re going to fleece them of all their goods.”

Erik gapes at Luminary, shocked by the implication, even if he knows the prince is just teasing him. “I just pointed out the obvious when we got here – there are _a lot_ of easy marks. That doesn’t mean I actually plan on lifting anything from anyone.”

Luminary offers him a wide grin and a half shrug, enjoying the way Erik seems mockingly incensed. “I wouldn’t be a very responsible hero if I let a pirate loose in a port town, now would I?”

“Just because you have a point doesn’t mean I have to like it…”

Luminary chuckles, unsurprised to hear Jade and Veronica giggling along with him. “That’s fine. All right – Erik and I will find out what we can about the Rainbough’s location, and we’ll meet back up with everyone in front of the stage. Whoever gets there first should probably find a good place to watch the competition for everyone else.”

The rest of the group states their agreement before they branch off into their tiny clusters and explore what Gondolia has to offer. Only Luminary and Erik stay standing in the dock for a few minutes, watching the ocean current lap against the boats in the dock.

“Sylvando is going to at least sign one of us up for the Signor Universo, isn’t he.” Erik doesn’t pose the sentence as a question, though he doesn’t need to. There’s a sigh of reluctant acceptance in his voice, as though he knows that, even if he threw himself into the sea right now, it wouldn’t save him from his fate.

With a rueful grin, Luminary looks over at his companion, watching how the sunlight reflects off the water onto Erik, the dispersed light dancing on his skin. He’s more certain that Sylvando will at least sign up Erik, though he honestly wouldn’t blame him. However, he decides it’s better to keep that observation to himself.

“Undoubtedly.”

* * *

They spend the afternoon wandering around town, asking the locals and the shop keeps if they knew of a merchant that had recently travelled to Gallopolis and returned with a rare treasure. Many vendors were recent arrivals themselves and were too busy setting up for the festival that night to be aware of what other sellers had been doing. However, Erik and Luminary were eventually directed to the mayor of the town who had a much better idea of the comings and goings of products in his city.

So, although they found out that the merchant had returned recently with an extraordinarily rare item from Gallopolis, they also discovered that the man had set sail to the east a few days ago, heading toward the Zwaardsrustian region. It isn’t as good as finding the merchant himself, but it certainly gives them an idea of where to go once they’re finally allowed to leave port.

The news actually fills Luminary with a sense of relief, not only because there were only a couple places where the merchant could have gone, but also because it will allow him to potentially take a detour into Dundrasil to visit his family. Their travels have been relatively easy so far, but after spending less than a year in his kingdom over the past seven years, he longs to have some sense of familiarity to ground him again. Jade would probably tease him relentlessly if she knew, but knowing her, she also misses her second family fiercely.

With a more concrete destination in mind and the sun starting to dip beneath the horizon, Luminary and Erik meander their way to the stage, where they can already see a crowd gathering. Although they had seen a few of the men as they traveled around town, the sheer number of contestants is surprising. Luminary expected only a handful, at most five different men to rise to the challenge, but when he sees over fifteen different contestants, he gets a much better sense of how popular this event truly is to Gondolia.

As his eyes glance over the crowd, Erik lets out a low whistle, clearly impressed by the number of people mulling about the area. “No wonder the dock worker said this event is ‘ _molto importante_ ’ to this place. I think more than half of the town is already here to watch, and it hasn’t even started yet.” Over the crowd, he can see Jade’s signature ponytail near the left portion of the stage. Grabbing Luminary’s wrist, Erik starts leading him over to their companion, relieved that they aren’t the first to arrive. “C’mon, I can see your Warrior Princess from here. Let’s go while there’s still space to move.”

Luminary sticks close to Erik’s side, weaving through the bodies as best as he can without getting separated from his partner. It’s only when they reach Jade that Luminary realizes that Hendrik isn’t with her. Due to the increasing size of the audience, the three huddle together, and Luminary chooses not to focus too much on the warmth of Erik’s hand still around his wrist. “Did Hendrik get lost in this crowd?”

“No,” Jade answers as she keeps an eye out for Sylvando and the twins. “We got here first, and Hendrik had something he wanted to discuss with the announcer before the competition begins. He’s been gone for a while, though, and I didn’t want to move from here in case the others arrive, especially since you guys found me easily. Can you two go check on him? I’ll continue to wait here.”

Erik watches her suspiciously, warning bells going off in his head, but he can’t pinpoint why. If she’s hiding something, her body language isn’t giving it away. “Couldn’t just one of us go? It won’t take both of us to wrangle him back here.”

“Sure, I’ll let a notorious pickpocket free in a sea of unsuspecting targets, so _you_ need a babysitter. And if Luminary gets sent off alone and gets trampled, I will blame _you_ entirely.” She pokes Erik in the chest for emphasis, glaring down at him with full force.

The thief has rarely cowered from anything in his life, yet he can feel himself shrinking back just the slightest bit under her glare. “Point taken.”

“We’ll bring your knight back, don’t worry,” Luminary assures, causing Jade to start sputtering.

“ _My_ knight?”

“We’ll be right back!” Luminary secures his hand around Erik’s wrist in return, pulling the thief back through the crowd, closer to the stage. As they work their way through, Luminary can see Hendrik standing to the side where some of the other contestants in the competition have gathered.

When they get close enough to the knight, Luminary calls out his name, grabbing Hendrik’s attention. “Jade says you’ve been gone a while, and the competition is about to start. Are you ready to head back?”

Before Hendrik has a chance to answer, the announcer for the event appears in front of Erik and Luminary, looking the men over with a critical but excited eye. “ _Si, si, molto bene!_ These must be the young men Signor Sylvando mentioned! You will be _perfect_ for le competizione! Very handsome, very strong, you will both fit right in. Come, come, we start soon-”

“Please tell me he didn’t,” Erik groans, already feeling a headache coming on when he figures out that Jade and the twins are most likely in on this as well.

“He did,” Hendrik confirms, looking as resigned as Erik feels. “Sylvando signed you, me, and Luminary up for this event, knowing that, at the very least, Luminary and I will not back out of it.”

“You can’t be serious.” Erik looks to Luminary to deny Hendrik’s words, but the prince can only offer an apologetic smile and a shrug in return. “I thought we wanted to keep a low profile?”

“A knight doesn’t cower away from adversity.”

“You and your _ridiculous_ pledge. It cannot possibly apply to _this_.”

Both Luminary and Hendrik reply at the same time, “ _A knight’s word is his bond_.”

Erik stares at both of them, wide-eyed with horror and disbelief. When he eventually sees that they’re serious and not playing a prank on him, he lets out a loud, anguished groan and covers his eyes in the futile hope that this is all an elaborate hoax. Peeking through his fingers, Erik sees Luminary staring back at him, trying his hardest not to laugh at his partner’s distress. “… You’re going to make me do this, too, aren’t you?”

“Not if you truly don’t want to, but…” Luminary leans closer and looks in the direction of Jade, where he can now see at least Sylvando and what he assumes are Serena and Veronica standing with them, “… if you don’t, you’ll have to deal with Sylvando and the girls by yourself.” He can feel Erik tense up beside him, every muscle in his back and shoulders pulled taut at the idea.

Finally, with a weary exhale, Erik looks over at the announcer, who has been watching them this whole time with expectant anticipation. “ _Fine_. Let’s get this over with.” Only when he starts to head toward the stage does Erik realize that he and Luminary have been lightly clasping each other’s wrists ever since they entered the crowd. Erik decides not to bring attention to this, instead letting his wrist slip out of Luminary’s grasp as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The three men follow the announcer to the area with the other contestants, waiting for more information on how the competition is going to work. Erik just hopes that, since there’s three of them entering, at least one of them will win.

* * *

The diversity in the types of men competing is much wider than Luminary anticipates. From musicians to body builders, the men cover all different standards of strength and grace, and it’s no wonder this contest has gained as much fame as it has. If anything, Luminary is more surprised that he didn’t know of it before coming to Gondolia.

The format of the Signor Universo is similar to that of a talent show where each contestant has time in the spotlight, showcasing their best assets in whatever form suits them best. Since they signed up so late, Hendrik, Erik, and Luminary at least have some time to figure out what exactly it is they’re going to do as the final three entrants.

The local favorites are easy to spot, the main two being a soulful, wandering minstrel, who played his lute with a fluidity and skill Luminary didn’t realize was possible, and a burly sailor with muscles and strength more akin to a seasoned fighter than simply a man at sea. Both had a variety of fans throughout the crowd, cheering feverishly throughout their entire sets. Still, the three men were not intimidated, mainly viewing this whole experience as a way to kill time for the night.

As they wait for their turn on the stage, the three of them talk quietly among themselves while sizing up the competition.

“Remind me again why we need to use fake names for this,” Erik says as he flips one of his knives between his fingers, eyeing the stage with a look of disdain.

“We don’t want to draw too much unwanted attention to ourselves, especially in a crowd of this size. We don’t know what will happen if we do, considering that we still don’t know who the agent of evil is we’re targeting,” Luminary explains as he slides a pair of Erik’s gloves over his hands to cover his mark as Yggdrasil’s Chosen.

“You introduce yourself to people we meet as ‘Luminary’ when they ask who you are all the time. I watched you do it _today_.”

“Well, that’s because it’s my name.”

“And you think that people don’t, oh, I don’t know, pick up on the fact that you’re _The_ Luminary just from that?” Erik asks, sarcasm heavy in his tone.

Luminary shrugs and ties a bandana around his head to hold his hair out of his face. “My parents just had a quirky sense of humor. Plus, you’d be surprised at how many people don’t put my name and my identity together. This is different, though, especially if I use the magic I intend on using.”

“You’re using magic?”

“Yes, and with my name, my mark, _and_ my magic, it’ll be a dead giveaway. So, in order to avoid that, I’m using a fake name and covering my mark. Thanks for the gloves, by the way.”

Erik throws his hands up in exasperation. “You’re welcome. And whatever, I guess it makes sense. So why does Hendrik need a fake name?”

“I’m one of the most recognizable and highly decorated knights of Heliodor,” Hendrik answers without a hint of bravado in his voice. If anything, he sounds more like he is answering a question about the weather or stating a basic fact. “While many outside of the Heliodorian region might not know what I look like, there have been books published about my and Jasper’s deeds. It wouldn’t be surprising if most here at least know of me by name.”

“Point taken, _Greig_. Then why do _I_ need a fake name? No one knows who I am.” Erik stares at Luminary expectantly, waiting for an answer, but instead receiving a sideways glance and a gradually increasing blush.

Looking down at the ground, Luminary quietly answers, “I didn’t want you to feel left out…”

“Oh.” The sound of the crowd fills the silence between then, giving Erik time to think about his response. Yet all he comes up with is an equally quiet, “Okay.”

As the noise finally dies down, they can hear the announcer call out for the next contestant. “Please put your hands together for An Army of One – _Greig_!”

Both Erik and Luminary snap their attention to Hendrik, whose façade looks as though he’s preparing himself for battle. As Hendrik climbs the stage, Erik silently mouths to Luminary, ‘Army of One?’ with barely restrained laughter dancing in his eyes. They both know Jade is going to have a field day teasing ‘ _Greig_ ’ over this.

Yet their laughter quickly dies in their throat as Hendrik divests himself of both his shirt and tunic, leaving his upper body that has been finely chiseled and sculpted from years of dedicated training bared to the audience. Luminary has to check to make sure he hasn’t accidentally swallowed his tongue.

Hendrik’s performance is a clearly practiced routine – a sequence of movements that smoothly flow from one into the next, all of them with the purpose of highlighting different muscle groups in Hendrik’s physique. For the first couple of poses, the crowd stays completely silent until a piercing whistle breaks through the night, setting off a cacophony of catcalls and cheers. Without needing to look, Luminary knows that the initial whistle came from their personal cheering group in the crowd, but he isn’t sure if it was from Jade or Sylvando.

Hendrik takes everything in stride throughout his entire time on stage, completely focused on transitioning from one pose to the next. He ends the display by showcasing the muscles in his back, each muscle highly defined by a thin film of sweat that glistens in the moonlight. When he finishes, he casually picks up his discarded clothes, folds them neatly over his arm, and takes a gallant bow before exiting the stage.

By the time Hendrik returns to Erik and Luminary, he already has his tunic back on is busy fastening his belt around his waist. When he looks up, Hendrik sees both of them staring at him like he’s a body-snatcher. “Is something wrong? Was my display inappropriate? There were similar and more tame entries, but it was the only way I could think of to set myself apart.”

“I think you just unintentionally impregnated half the crowd,” Erik says, trying his hardest to not choke on his words. Luminary is less successful as he starts coughing into his hand, the sound a rough mix between a laugh and a croak. “I thought the entire point of changing our names was to _not_ draw attention to ourselves!”

“I did not draw attention to myself as a knight of Heliodor. However, I never said I was going to purposefully throw the competition,” Hendrik states, looking completely unabashed.

Erik looks at Hendrik as through he’s truly meeting the man for the first time. “Holy Yggdrasil…”

When he finally has himself back under control, Luminary smirks to himself and cracks his knuckles. “Guess there’s no reason to hold back then, is there?” Hendrik sees the challenge in Luminary’s eyes and smirks back in response. Challenge accepted.

“For our next contestant, please welcome the Mage of Mystery – _Eleven_!” Luminary waves at his companions and climbs the stage, but not before hearing Erik mutter to himself, ‘What is with these titles?’

Master Pang would kill him for what he’s about to do, but if there’s one thing that sets him apart aside from being The Luminary and a prince, it’s the way he’s able to manifest magic into weapons and within weapons themselves. Using the techniques he honed during his six years in Angri-La, Luminary centers himself and pulls his sword from its sheath. As his runs his hand over the blade, it becomes engulfed in flame, burning bright enough to override the lights shining above him.

With motions almost similar to a dance, he swings his sword in practiced movements that were literally beaten into him (he still sometimes has nightmares about the Naughty Sticks, but only his grandfather ever understands). The motions are smooth, almost hypnotizing with the way each movement flows from one into the next, but the swings themselves aren’t what captivates the audience. As he moves, the element consuming the sword changes from fire, to water, darkness, light, and earth, each one glowing with its own unique essence.

Luminary keeps his eyes closed for the whole sequence, his face a picture of serenity and concentration, yet he’s always aware of his surroundings. Near the end of his display, he finally opens his eyes, his blade now crackling with lightning, the element most familiar to him. Thrusting his blade into the ground, the energy creates a shockwave across the stage, flashing with light as bright as the sun. He controls it so it vanishes right before it spills over the platform and into the audience, but just as the lightning fades, he thrusts his left hand up toward the sky, the mark of Yggdrasil shining brightly beneath the glove, its shape obscured. A giant blade of light forms itself in the air, and with a swing of his arm, the blade comes crashing down before him, completely blocking him from view. The sound of gasps from the crowd are swallowed by the roar of the blade connecting with the ground. Even though everyone can feel the rumbling strength behind the spell, when the light dies back down, the stage is left perfectly intact.

With a deep exhale, Luminary removes his sword from the stage and smoothly slides it back in his sheath.

The quiet in the crowd is so absolute that for a while, the only sound that can be heard is the sound of the waves lapping against the pier. Once the applause starts, it spreads over the audience like a flood until the sound overrides everything in the area. With a shy smile and a bow, Luminary exits the stage, returning to where Hendrik and Erik are.

While he could feel Erik’s eyes on him the whole time, coming face to face with his stare directly feels completely different. His gaze is intense and consuming, and the multitude of emotions swirling in his eyes become muddled together to the point where Luminary can’t tell them apart or even what they are. If anything, it’s unnerving because this is the first time Luminary truly cannot read the thief, especially since the emotions seem as though they should be plain to see.

“You’re up next, you know,” Luminary says to him softly, though considering the noise of the crowd, Luminary has a feeling that Erik probably read his lips more than heard him speak.

As soon as the words register, all emotion on Erik’s face turns completely flat, and it’s as though a door has firmly slammed shut between them. His voice sounds aloof and detached when he does answer, but that’s only after Erik puts a bit more space between them. “I’ve changed my mind. This isn’t really my scene, so I think I’m gonna take a look around town some more. I’ll catch up with you guys at the inn later.”

Luminary grabs his elbow before Erik moves too far, forcing him to look back at the prince. Luminary quickly scans his face for signs of… anything really, though he’s not quite sure what’s going on or what to look for. “Are you okay?” he whispers to his companion, concern clear in his tone. “Please tell me if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Erik gently removes Luminary’s hand from his arm and gives the prince the fakest grin he’s ever seen. The sight of it makes a knot twist in his stomach, ugly and tight. Luminary knows the words are lies before they even have a chance to leave Erik’s mouth. “I’m fine, just not feeling it right now. No need to worry, alright?”

Luminary gives Erik a stiff nod with his fists clenched at his sides, the action being the only thing preventing him from reaching out and demanding to know what’s wrong. He knows Hendrik is watching their every move, unsure as to whether or not he should intervene, but the knight stays rooted to his spot. They both watch as Erik slips into the crowd, disappearing from sight within seconds.

Although he hears the people around him and the announcer introducing Erik to the audience, the sounds blend together until it all becomes a white noise that feels like untamed energy burning under his skin. He knows he experiences it, but if anyone were to ask him what he remembers about the end of the Signor Universo competition, he wouldn’t be able to recall a thing.

* * *

Erik returns to the inn that night right as the rest of the crew gets ready for bed. As soon as he appears, he feels Luminary’s eyes constantly tracking him, though if it makes him uncomfortable, he never says anything about it. If anything, he’s back to his usual maverick self, teasing Veronica and Jade while trying to deftly dodge Sylvando’s antics.

The only one that he keeps at an unusual distance is Luminary.

“Honey, you have to tell me what happened! One minute you’re there, ready to go on stage, and the next thing we know, you pull a vanishing act.” Sylvando tilts his head and places his hand on his cheek, watching Erik with a remorseful look. “Had I known you were so against it, I wouldn’t have signed you up.”

With a weak chuckle, Erik waves off Sylvando’s fears, not wanting the man to blame himself for Erik bolting. “It’s all good. I’m used to going unnoticed on purpose, so I just got a hit of last minute stage fright, and I bailed. I didn’t mean to worry you guys.”

‘ _Lies, lies_ lies _._ ’ The word chants itself over and over in Luminary’s mind as he watches the exchange. Although Sylvando is unusually good at reading people, Luminary studied Erik and his behavior long before he ever properly met the man, and after spending so much time with him, he’s gotten better at figuring out Erik’s moods and thought patterns purely through his mannerisms. He doesn’t know what any of it means, not yet, but everything about the thief’s mood is just registering as wrong, wrong, _wrong_ in Luminary’s mind.

Erik chances a glance at Luminary and catches his gaze, freezing completely still for the briefest of moments before focusing his attention back on Sylvando.

“Oh sweetie, it happens to the best of us, so don’t concern your head over it.” Sylvando places his hand on Erik’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “I’m sure if you had performed, you would have been fabulous.”

The smile Erik offers Sylvando is at least genuine, which causes a small knot in Luminary’s chest to loosen. “Thanks, I appreciate it. So, who ended up winning?”

“Hendrik did, actually,” Serena answers as she tunes the strings on her harp.

“With the way the ladies went completely bonkers over his little strip show, it was hardly a contest,” Veronica adds as she flips through a book she found in the inn.

“Veronica! I cannot believe you would debase his performance by calling it a mere ‘strip show’!” Sylvando chides. “To be able to know what positions display your muscles in the most aesthetically pleasing way is not something you can simply stumble upon. It was much better than the raw show of strength from that sailor.”

“Classy strip show, then.”

Sylvando clicks his tongue and dismisses her. “No taste for art. Though Erik, dear, you should congratulate him when you get a chance. He’s more proud of the accomplishment than he lets on.”

“Since the contest is over, I guess we’ll be good to leave tomorrow?” Erik asks, eager to leave this town behind.

“We can set out bright and early in the morning as soon as everyone is ready. I already let Dave know to have the ship prepared to leave by then. You all will get to meet Dave tomorrow, so be nice.”

The group separates into their rooms soon after, Sylvando and Hendrik sharing, the girls splitting a room among the three of them, and Luminary and Erik in a room, much like their usual arrangements. Only when they bid the others good night and closed the door behind them did the tension from earlier build back up between the two.

It isn’t a fight because there wasn’t anything they fought over to begin with, but the distance and hesitation is still there, a foreign and almost dangerous thing that feels like a snake tightening around Luminary’s throat. He keeps asking himself if he’s getting worked up over nothing.

As Erik mulls about the room in preparation for sleep, Luminary tries not to stare. He knows prying will get him nowhere, and he fervently respects Erik’s space and secrets, not wanting to force the man to share more than he’s willing to give. The difference is there’s a distinct wall between them now that didn’t used to exist, and he knows Erik is the one that put it there. Although it’s been a relatively short time, Erik has become a close and trusted companion, the closest thing to a true friend Luminary has allowed himself to have, one gained through circumstance rather than status, and he doesn’t want an unknown catalyst ruining that.

“Hey Erik,” Luminary starts tentatively, as though he’s trying to navigate a layer of extremely thin ice, “did your walk help?”

“Huh?” Erik says, pausing for a few moments to process Luminary’s words. “Oh, yeah. Much better now.”

The silence resumes as though it always existed, causing Luminary to face Erik completely. “Are we good?”

At this, Erik stops moving altogether, turning his attention to Luminary and his concerned gaze. The look is so earnest that he almost can’t bear to look the prince in the eye. “Of course, why wouldn’t we be?”

“Something happened at the competition… I don’t know what it was, and I’m not going to force you to tell me, but _something_ occurred, and you’ve been practically avoiding me since.” Luminary hangs his head, not wanting to see the blank look in Erik’s eyes. “I’m not sure if it’s something I said or did, but I don’t want… whatever is happening to affect us. Regardless of how we met, you’re my friend, Erik. So, you can trust me, if you want, whenever you’re ready.”

When Luminary peers up at Erik again, he’s surprised to see the conflicted and pained expression on his face. It takes longer than usual for Erik to school it into something more neutral, but neither one of them tries to pretend that it was never there. Erik’s body sags against his bed, gripping the edge of the mattress in his hands. “I know, and… I’m sorry for getting you involved in my hang-ups, but I mean it. We’re still good.” He shifts his focus back onto Luminary who is watching him eagerly. Raising his fist, Erik holds it out to Luminary with a tiny smile. “Partners?”

Luminary offers a soft smile in return as more of the weight feels like it’s lifting off his chest. “Always.” Reaching out, he taps his fist against Erik’s, the action a small sign of solidarity they share. For now, it’s enough.

* * *

When Sylvando originally mentioned he owned a boat, no one expected the elaborate and ornate nature of the Salty Stallion. It’s a massive ship with gold accents along almost every part of the boat, and while it’s not as flashy as Sylvando himself can be, it certainly suits his tastes.

“You said, ‘I found a ship,’” Veronica begins, her tone quiet and reflective. Throwing her hand out to point at the ship, her volume quickly raises as she tries to process the luxury they’re going to be travelling in. “At what point does ‘Contracting someone to custom build me a glamorous ship,’ mean that you simply ‘found one,’ Mister Moneybags?! Who _are_ you?”

“Just a travelling jester, sweetie,” Sylvando says, practically brushing off Veronica’s question. He then pauses for a moment, tapping his index finger against his bottom lip as he turns a thought over in his mind. “Although, I technically am a travelling companion of The Luminary and his merry band, now. Oh well, we travel in style either way. Let’s stop gawking and get ourselves aboard, shall we?”

Even though Veronica wants to bombard the jester with more questions, they’ve discovered that Sylvando is just as good as Erik when it comes to dodging inquiries about his past. Seeing it as a fight she isn’t going to win, she drops the subject for now, and focuses on helping Serena carry all the pastries she purchased for the trip.

As the group starts loading up the ship, Jade bumps elbows with Sylvando, drawing his attention. “When you wrote to me that you were commissioning a boat, you should have told me you were planning on something like this. I would have gotten you something nice to decorate.”

“You still can, if you want, honey. You know I’d never say no to a gift, but I’m perfectly happy with your smiling face.” Sylvando gently nudges her back. “Now let’s get a move on – the sea is rather calm today, and I want to take advantage of it.”

It doesn’t take long for them to finally set sail, heading east to the Zwaardsrust region. Dave, the navigator of the Stallion, mans the helm while the rest of the group takes shifts between resting and defending the deck from monsters at sea.

During one of the quiet nights where Hendrik and Luminary are on monster slaying duty, Luminary spies the knight staring out to sea in the direction of Zwaardsrust, still as a statue with his hands clasped behind his back. He looks like the true captain of the ship with his hair, coat, and cravat gently rustling in the ocean breeze. Walking up next to him, Luminary leans his arms against the railing, staring out into the black horizon beyond.

It’s always been easy to share companionable silences with Hendrik. He’s not a man of many words, or rather, he never says more than he means to. However, even for him, he’s been unnaturally quiet throughout their voyage, often gazing toward their destination with a pensive and longing look in his eyes. Without looking over at his companion, Luminary starts to speak softly into the night.

“Tonight reminds me of how this all began.”

“How so?” Hendrik asks after a few seconds of silence.

“The two of us on patrol, keeping the city safe at night, long brooding silences.” Resting his chin on his arms, Luminary watches the waves as the ship slices through the water. “It hasn’t been that long, but it feels like a lifetime ago.”

“Indeed, a lot has changed since then. I know you spent less time in Heliodor than what was originally planned, but you did grow during that time. I feel Jasper’s tutelage helped greatly in that respect.”

“You say that as though you didn’t have a hand in my swordsmanship improving. I still run through those drills when I get a chance.”

“Oh, I am aware,” Hendrik says with a smirk in his voice. “Your footwork has at least improved. I have no idea how Master Pang let you leave Angri-La with the way you manage to trip over nothing.”

“We focused mostly on my magic and learning how to control my abilities as The Luminary. Everything else was hand-to-hand combat, and I was focused on taking down my opponents as quickly as possible. That and meditation. Hours and _hours_ of meditation…”

“Well, she did send me a letter explaining that you needed to work much more on your footwork and felt Jasper and I would be the best ones to teach you. She truly is wise.”

Luminary lets out a pained groan and buries his face in his arms, feeling the heat of his embarrassment curl around his neck. She’ll find a way to shame him into his next life, if she has her way. “I should have figured she was letting me off too light with the way she seemed to just give up on it. I don’t know why I didn’t think she would recruit help.”

Hendrik chuckles then, and Luminary is at least happy the man is becoming a bit more relaxed.

Standing upright, Luminary grips the railing, planning his next words carefully. After a few moments of internal debate, he glances over at Hendrik, noticing that his stance is less rigid than when Luminary first arrived. “… Have you had a chance to return to Zwaardsrust since – since it fell?” His words are halting and soft, not wanting to tread upon memories he has no right bringing up if Hendrik doesn’t want him to.

Closing his eyes, Hendrik lets out a deep sigh, forcing all the air out of his lungs before he breathes in again. From his body language, Luminary confirms to himself that this is what has been plaguing Hendrik’s mind during the course of their voyage.

Over a decade before Luminary’s birth, the kingdom of Zwaardsrust, said to descend directly from one of the original Luminary’s companion’s bloodlines, stood as an equal to the other four great kingdoms of Erdrea – Heliodor, Gallopolis, Sniflheim, and Dundrasil. Like the other kingdoms, it housed one of the important relics of Yggdrasil, The Purple Orb. However, just as the number of monsters was starting to increase around Erdrea, an army of demons raided Zwaardsrust’s castle and laid waste to the city below, leaving only burning buildings and bodies behind. Those who managed to survive either barely escaped as the attack began or were away from the kingdom at the time, like Hendrik. Monsters still roam the ruins, preventing any attempts to rebuild what was once lost.

Hendrik rarely talks about his origins after spending so many years in Heliodor, but many know the story of King Carnelian taking in orphans of the massacre and offering them refuge in his city. Few, however, were like Hendrik, who devoted himself to King Carnelian and became a knight and citizen of Heliodor.

“I have been back once,” Hendrik finally says, voice somber and quiet in the night. “It was soon after your birth was announced, and the Kings gathered for the Colloquy. However, I was part of King Carnelian’s Honor Guard, so there was no time to linger or pay my respects.”

“We can make time when we get there, if you want,” Luminary offers. “We need to pass through the region regardless, so it won’t be trouble at all. I’m sure everyone else would agree.”

Hendrik takes his time and considers Luminary’s words, while the prince waits patiently for his response. He has never tried digging into Hendrik’s past, especially after learning he was a citizen of Zwaardsrust. He cannot imagine what it would be like to lose your hometown and your family in one night with only the ashes of a fallen kingdom that fades from memory left behind. Luminary doesn’t try to pretend to know what is going through Hendrik’s mind, but he allows him all the space and time he needs to figure out what he wants to do.

Turning his head to peer down at Luminary, Hendrik looks at him with an assessing gaze for a few breaths. Luminary isn’t sure what he’s hoping to find, but whatever Hendrik sees, it gradually brings a soft smile to the knight’s face. With a polite bow of his head, Hendrik gives Luminary his answer. “I am humbled by your thoughtfulness, Your Highness, though I do not know if I wish to take you up on your offer just yet. I will need more time to think it over but finding the Rainbough must take priority.”

“I understand, but please do not feel obligated to push your needs to the side. If you decide to go, we will go with you. Also… none of this ‘Your Highness’ business, alright? It’s just Luminary, even when we are back in Dundrasil.”

Hendrik laughs again, allowing Luminary to witness one of the few times he’s truly let his stern persona drop. “My apologies, Luminary.”

If Jade is his older sister, then it’s moments like this where Luminary feels Hendrik is like his older brother, an example to be followed and just the right mixture of accommodating and protective. Pushing himself away from the railing, Luminary reaches his arms over his head to stretch out his back and yawns. “There are still a few more hours until daybreak, so I’m going to do a couple more laps around the ship. From what Dave mentioned, we should arrive to the shore south of Zwaardsrust the day after tomorrow.”

“Understood.” As Luminary starts to walk away, he hears Hendrik calling out to him again, causing him to pause in his steps. Before he can inquire as to what Hendrik needs, he sees the fond gaze on Hendrik’s face as he looks Luminary over. “You are a good man, and I feel you would still be one even if you were not Yggdrasil’s Chosen. I look forward to seeing what kind of ruler you will be.”

Another flush slides up Luminary’s cheeks, unsure of what to do with unexpected praise. Still, he can clearly hear the sincerity in Hendrik’s words, and he doesn’t doubt for a moment that the knight means them whole heartedly. With a tight nod of acknowledgement, Luminary stiffly turns around and continues walking away with a bit more speed in his step. When he manages to trip over his own feet, he quickly rights himself with probably more arm flailing than was necessary before making a hasty retreat.

At least only Hendrik saw, but he knows he’s in for more footwork drills in the near future.

* * *

They arrive to the southern tip of the Zwaardsrustian region and take a smaller row boat to shore due to the rocky cliffs surrounding the beach. Unlike the previous areas they have been, Zwaardsrust is mostly made up of granaries that were left alone during the attack; however, most of the families that managed them did not survive. As the group heads closer to the Warrior’s Inn, the only remaining lodging in the region, they can see the fields of grain spreading as far as the eye can see.

The ones closest to the inn are still being maintained, the even rows of wheat swaying in the wind, but the ones bordering the old Zwaardsrust city lines are completely overgrown, crawling with monsters they can hear but can’t see. It feels surreal looking at the juxtaposition, as though they’re seeing two different points of time simultaneously. Hendrik leads the way to the Warrior’s Inn in stoic silence, and although the scenery is lovely in its own right, no one really feels the need to talk or comment on its beauty.

Their stop at the Warrior’s Inn is relatively brief – Luminary finds out from the innkeeper that the merchant did pass through here and then headed north toward Octagonia. The group sets back out while there’s still light for travel. As they venture past the fallen kingdom, Luminary watches Hendrik for any sign indicating he wants to stop. However, they press on, riding the horses they received from Gallopolis through the mountain pass to the City of Fighters.

There’s much one can say about Octagonia – how the entire city is built into a mountain with impressive architecture that reveals the city in layers, how the fighting competitions draw crowds from all over Erdrea enough so it’s the city’s main source of revenue, or how there is constant activity in the city since there is no natural light to govern the time of day. However, what Erik chooses to say is this:

“Well, I guess we’re not going to be able to go unnoticed here,” his tone completely flat as he points up to the giant stone bust of Hendrik wielding a sword in his traditional Heliodorian armor that looms over the stadium’s entrance. The expression on the statue’s face is fierce, one they’ve all seen numerous times as they’ve entered battle together.

“The likeness is spot on,” Veronica says as she keeps looking between Hendrik and the statue. “They even got his scowl right!”

“And the details of his armor are incredible for a statue so big!” Serena says as she points out the various facets of his armor. “Whoever did this took great care to make it look as realistic as possible. It truly is a marvelous piece of work.”

“How’d you get so popular here anyway? I thought you spent most of your time in Heliodor.”

“Many who managed to escape from Zwaardsrust fled either to Octagonia or Dundrasil. The mayor commissioned this statue after I was named Captain of the Knights in Heliodor as an accomplishment for Zwaardsrust’s people.” Hendrik tries to hide the flush on his cheeks from all of the attention. Only Jasper knows, at great length, how he really feels about the statue and what it represents.

“It’s true,” Luminary confirms. Although he hadn’t seen the statue in person before, he had certainly heard about it from Jade. “While we don’t have any monuments to him in Dundrasil, many of the former Zwaardsrust citizens talk about Hendrik’s deeds as though he serves in our royal court. You’re a local celebrity, in a way.”

“Since we don’t have to worry about laying low, then we can go out in style!” Sylvando exclaims, pure excitement in his voice. “I’ve always wanted to visit here and see the Masked Martial Arts competition, and now we have the perfect opportunity! A lovely young lady handed this to me while you all were admiring Hendrik’s bust, and it seems like the tournament is going to start within a couple days.” He flashes the flyer at the group, waving it in Hendrik’s direction in particular. “We can continue our search for the Rainbough _and_ blow off some steam. What do you say?”

Jade’s eyes light up and she grabs the poster, reading over the details. “It mentions some pretty unique and rare prizes for the first and second placing teams, so if we’re going to enter, I think all of us should just to increase our chances.”

“Doesn’t martial arts typically imply physical fighting?” Serena asks, concern written all over her features. “I don’t know how far I’d be able to get in a competition like that.”

“Not this one. Look here!” Veronica points at some small text near the bottom where the other rules and specifications are listed. “‘Magic users are encouraged to join’! Just team up with someone like Hendrik who can take the brunt of the hits, and then you can focus on keeping ‘em standing.”

“You just want to throw fireballs at people,” Erik deadpans.

“And according to the rules, it’s _encouraged_. What? Scared of a wee bit of fire?”

“In general? No, but _your_ reckless fire? I’d be safer staying at the inn.”

“I am a perfectly _proficient_ and _accomplished_ mage, thank you very muc-”

“ _Anyway_ ,” Jade cuts in, pointing at the flyer once more, “you two might be stuck on the same team. The teams are random, and as the name implies, everyone wears masks provided by the MMA foundation. So, all we need to do is sign up at the stadium straight ahead, and we’re good to go. Plus, the top two prizes are on display, so we can see if they’re even worth the effort.”

“Sounds absolutely enchanting and at least worth a look! Let’s not loiter at the entrance any longer – the sooner we look into this competition and figure out if we want to sign up, the sooner we can start asking around about the Rainbough.” Sylvando strolls ahead to the stadium, not pausing to see if the others will follow.

There are many things to say about the stadium – how it winds in a pillar to the top of the mountain, how the line for signing up for the tournament flows well past the front door, or how the variety of fighters gathered on the main floor run the full gamut of warriors. However, Erik again is the one to speak first, and what he chooses to say is this:

“Guess we’re all signing up for the tournament,” his tone mostly flat with just a hint of surprise as the group stares collectively at the first prize held behind a glass container, sparkling with all the colors one can imagine.

The Rainbough.


	5. Chapter 5

Surprisingly, the first day of the tournament doesn’t contain any actual fighting; instead, it’s dedicated to the Random Partner Selection, which, if the crowds are anything to go by, is just as big of a draw as the fights themselves. Each entrant was assigned a number upon registration, and now the referee draws the numbers out of a box one by one, indicating which entrants must enter the competition as a pair. With a pool of over twenty fighters, it allows for a decent amount of randomization while still giving Luminary and his group a fair chance to end up paired with each other.

With a flourish, the referee draws the first call, holding the ball high in the air as he announces the number to the stadium. “The first pick is… Number 11!”

“Yggdrasil shows her favor in a lot of weird ways,” Veronica mutters under her breath, causing Erik to stifle a chuckle when he hears her. Luminary honestly can’t help but agree.

With his mask firmly in place, Luminary ascends the stairs and stands next to the referee, waiting for him to draw his partner. There’s a tense moment of silence in the stadium that follows as the ref swirls his hands among the numbered balls before grabbing one, removing it from the rest. In the back of his mind, Luminary secretly hopes that the number that’s drawn is Erik’s.

“Number 7!”

The crowd stays quiet until a tall and incredibly muscular man starts moving from the back of the entrants, his pace calm and confident. As soon as the other contestants around him realize who’s moving, they immediately part ways to allow him space to walk. Upon recognizing him, the audience starts chanting his name, the sound quickly growing in volume until it becomes a physical sensation throughout the stadium.

“ _Vince! Vince! Vince!_ ” The fighter waves to the crowd, absorbing their energy with a casual ease that clashes with his build.

“Looks like Number 7 is Octagonia’s very own Vince the _Vanquisher!_ ” The crowd’s cheers intensify to the point where Luminary isn’t sure they will ever stop. “Long time crowd favorite and winner of last year’s championship, will the newcomer prove to be a boon or a burden?!” 

Setting the snub aside, Luminary focuses all of his attention on Vince when the man approaches. He stares up at his new partner, grappling with the way Vince is able to make him feel _small_. Not even Hendrik manages to do that, and the knight has a clear foot on him in height. Even so, Luminary doesn’t feel threatened by him in the slightest, especially as Vince simply offers a hand to shake with a friendly smile.

“Looks like we’re in this together, partner.” Luminary grips his hand, and from a handshake alone, he can feel the man’s strength. Between that and his laid-back demeanor, it’s no wonder he’s a fan favorite. “I’m looking forward to smashin’ some heads.” Luminary just smiles and nods in return.

“I’m surprised Vince got picked this early,” one of the other fighters says, grumbling at the prospect. Everyone who seems to know Vince looks less than pleased at the matchup, though Luminary cannot tell if it’s because Vince is paired with him or because Vince _isn’t_ paired with _them_.

Without wanting to waste any more time, they move further into the ring, standing out of the way as they wait for the other teams to be announced. When the referee starts swirling the numbers again, Luminary looks over at the rest of his group to find both Erik and Jade looking over at him with suspiciously blank expressions. Well, more accurately, looking at Vince. Meeting Jade’s gaze, Luminary sends her a quick hand signal to inquire what’s going on, though she quickly waves him off and signs back that she’ll tell him later.

From them on, he turns his attention to the rest of the Partner Selection. Luminary doesn’t get a chance to really talk with Vince during the event, both of them too focused on seeing the other pairs they’ll have to fight against. Even so, his mind keeps drifting to the way Jade and Erik reacted to his pairing with the local hero even though he doesn’t want to read too much into it.

In the end, only two of their group end up paired together – Erik and Jade, the only combination Luminary wants to fight against less than a Serena and Hendrik pair up. Still, from what he can tell, those two are going to be the only real challenge he won’t be able to hold back on, especially if Vince turns out to be the true powerhouse he seems to be. But that’s a problem he can worry about when he has to face it.

For now, after all the teams have been have been selected, the officials run through all the rules of the tournament and inform the entrants that they all have full room and board at the local inn for the duration of the competition. The meeting concludes with the officials letting them know that the fighting bracket won’t be revealed until tomorrow morning, allowing the fighters to have plenty of time to rest for tonight. To be honest, Luminary only listens to less than half of what the officials were saying. He concentrates on strategizing as best as he can with what little he knows about the other fighters.

Vince places a hand on Luminary’s shoulder, knocking him loose from his internal musings. He never plans on admitting on how badly the force of the gesture made him jump. “I won’t be stayin’ at the inn because I have a place at the local orphanage. If you need me, you can come find me there. Otherwise, I’ll come get you tomorrow, bright and early, so we can prepare for our first bout.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Without another word, Vince gives his new partner another genial smile before heading out. Luminary takes a moment to watch Vince head down the stairs to the lower levels of the stadium, trying to get a deeper read on the man. Eventually, he just shakes the thoughts from his mind and heads down himself to catch up with the rest of his group. They’re already assembled outside of the inn, waiting for Luminary to join them.

“Someone certainly got lucky, landing the champion from last year as their partner,” Veronica says as he approaches. “I got stuck with some random bare-handed fighter.”

“From what I heard, he trained at Angri-La for a time, so I wouldn’t underestimate him, especially if he had to train under Master Pang,” Luminary replies, ignoring the way Veronica sticks her tongue out at him. “And if anyone got the luck of the draw, it’s Jade and Erik. I’m hoping we’re not in the same bracket, so I don’t have to go against you two.”

“I’m more interested to see how Hendrik does with his partner… _Sinderella_ ,” Jade says with a completely wicked grin aimed at Hendrik. The knight’s face is still tinged a faint, dusty pink after dealing with the salacious mage.

“He looked like he was going to pass out when she hugged his arm!” Serena chimes in, covering her mouth with her hand to hide how big her grin is. It’s not enough to stifle her giggle. “I hope you’ll be able to handle her during your match.”

“I’m sure she would enjoy _that_.” Veronica doesn’t even bother hiding her toothy smile. “Also, how has no one figured out that you are _The_ Hendrik yet?”

“I’m wearing a mask,” Hendrik says, practically forcing the words out in one breath.

“That makes no sense. It barely covers only the top half of your face?”

“People rarely figure out that I’m _The_ Luminary, and I tell them my name,” Luminary adds offhandedly. He stopped questioning the logic of it moons ago.

“Unbelievable…”

“Aside from all that, we should still be careful while we’re here.” Erik’s arms are folded over his chest as he leans against the wall, watching pedestrians as they pass by instead of looking at the rest of them.

“Afraid someone is going to steal something important from you, darling?” Sylvando’s tone, both sly and knowing, is what draws Erik’s ire, though he only shows it through a tightening of his fingers on his arms.

“Actually, it’s because there have been rumors that fighters from these tournaments have gone missing soon after they lose. No one is sure why, but a day or so after their match, they completely vanish.” Erik faces the rest of the group with an unusually dark and serious expression that sobers everyone’s mood. “I’m not necessarily saying that we should get involved, but we need to at least try to protect ourselves from it.”

Although none of them say it, Luminary can tell by the way the rest of the group, aside from Luminary himself, replies with an immediate nod that shows they are all on the same page – Erik might have mentioned it as a warning to everyone, but they all had silently agreed on one priority, protecting The Luminary. The realization makes a knot in his throat, and it’s moments like this that cause him to privately loathe his destiny. He never wants someone to willingly give up their life for him, no matter what’s at stake, yet he also understands that it isn’t necessarily _him_ they would be losing their lives for, but something far greater. Still, as time goes on, he can tell that the lines are starting to blur the two together for his companions.

“We won’t let it come to that, and now that we’re aware of it, we shouldn’t ignore it,” Luminary says with an edge of steel in his voice. From the way his companions turn to look at him as he speaks, he can tell it’s one of the few times he’s truly acted like a leader to them. “We have time before and after the tournament each day, so we should use it to find out what we can about these disappearances. If possible, I want to prevent them from happening this time.”

The rest of them voice their agreement at once, all of them sharing a sense of determination for their objectives while here.

* * *

True to his word, Vince comes and personally wakes up Luminary in the morning. Whether it’s bright and early, he has no idea, but if his body’s reluctance to get up is any indication, it’s most likely around the time the sun comes up. Known as ‘too early.’ Groaning and rolling over, Luminary sees that Erik is already gone from their shared room, and from the look of his bed, he’d been awake for a while. Not unusual, but not common either.

“Time to get ready, partner. We’re the first match of the day, so there’s not a lot of time to prep,” Vince says with his hands folded across his chest and a placid smile on his face. “Then we’ll have the rest of the day to size up the competition.”

Burying his face in his pillow, Luminary let’s out a muffled reply, working up the motivation to get out of bed. It’s not until he hears Vince’s chuckle at his antics that he finally pushes himself up and slides off the mattress. He forces his body to comply as quickly as possible, and soon, the duo make their way to the stadium, discussing basic strategy all the while.

For their first match, they’re up against two bruisers that Vince has fought before. Although they’re strong, both men have little in the way of strategy during a fight, something Luminary finds out first hand when they announce their plans as soon as the bout begins.

“Let’s take out the pipsqueak first and then gang up on Vanquish to finish,” says the man dubbed Underdigger. He Luminary recognizes him as the same man who commented on Vince being picked so early in the draft, and by his attitude, he’s less than pleased with the partner he himself ended up with.

The Underdigger’s partner, the Abdominal Showman, gaffs with his tongue limply hanging out of his mouth and drool dripping down his chin. His eyes hone in on Luminary like a wild animal who just locked its sight on its prey. Both men are nearly twice Luminary’s size, and he’s not surprised in the slightest that they choose to underestimate him. It is something Vince and Luminary are counting on.

In the end, the battle is relatively quick, and the only ones who seem surprised by its outcome are Underdigger and the Abdominal Showman themselves. Lying flat on the ground, the two hulking men end up pinned beneath Vince and Luminary with a pair of claws and a sword aimed at their throats. 

As cheers from the audience fill the stadium, Vince grins over at Luminary, the smile splitting across his face. “Not bad at all, partner! Looks like you’ve got more power to you than it seems.” 

Luminary grins back at Vince as he helps Underdigger onto his feet. During the fight, he hadn’t bothered using even half of his strength, but Luminary thinks it’s best to keep that fact to himself. Regardless, Vince still proved himself to be an accomplished fighter in his own right, and his brute strength is nothing to take lightly. Even his size belies the speed he displayed during the fight. It’s no wonder he won the MMA Championship the previous years.

As they planned, Vince and Luminary stick around for the remaining fights for that day in an attempt to gauge who will be the biggest threats. Luminary does breathe a sigh of relief when he sees that Erik and Jade are in a completely separate bracket, and with the way the rest of the teams fell, it’ll most likely end up with the two of them facing off against him and Vince in the finals, which is the best-case scenario. Beyond that, the blood in his veins sings at the chance of going up against two of the most important people to him and getting a chance to test his mettle against theirs.

Even if it ends up with him landing flat on his ass in a stadium full of onlookers.

* * *

They finish the first day with all of Luminary’s companions making it into the second round, with the exception of Veronica, who had the unfortunate luck of going up against Jade and Erik.

“I can’t believe I lost in the first round!” she laments as the group gathers just outside the stadium. She pokes her finger into Jade’s chest, glaring up at the smirking woman’s face. “I should have objected when you two were paired up. How is it fair that you two can move so fast, and, on top of that, my partner was completely useless! One kick from you and he was down for the count. I didn’t even get a chance to use any of my magic!”

“Honestly, that was kinda the idea, Ronnie,” Erik says matter-of-factly, not bothering to hide his overtly smug expression. “We knew you were the bigger threat of the two, though I don’t think either one of us expected your partner to go down as quickly as he did.”

“Master Pang clearly didn’t train him,” Luminary chips in with a cheery tone.

“See? Master Pang didn’t train him. You got a knockoff Angri-La trainee.”

Veronica bristles in anger before turning her back on the three traitors and facing Serena, placing both hands on her shoulder. “This is it, Serena. You’ll have to fight on without me, but you’re stronger than you think! Avenge me, dear sister!”

Patting Veronica on her head, Serena gives her twin a sweet smile. “I’m not sure I’ll fare much better, but at least if Erik and Jade win, we’ll still be able to get the Rainbough.”

Veronica slowly drops her hands from Serena’s shoulders and backs away in mock horror. “ _This is the final betrayal…_ ”

“Don’t worry, darling, I will make sure those nasty speedsters regret defeating you,” Sylvando promises with a flourish. He winks at Veronica and taps his chin with his finger in thought, pausing for dramatic effect. “Then again, I will still need to make it through our dear Luminary first, and after he and that Vince fellow put on that intense display, I feel I’ll have my work cut out for me.”

All mirth drains from Jade’s face then, and she levels Luminary with a serious stare. “All joking aside, you should watch yourself around him, little brother. There’s something about him that doesn’t sit quite right with me, and I don’t think we should overlook it.”

Jade’s intuition has served her well over the years, and Luminary has grown to trust it over time. Still, Vince has been nothing but pleasant and cordial in all of their interactions, and he knows the man is the sole breadwinner for the orphanage in Octagonia. He’s well loved by all the citizens in Octagonia, even outside of his fighting capabilities. With others, he can usually sense their more sinister intentions, even with someone like Prince Faris who is accustomed to using people to meet his personal goals.

He doesn’t get any sense of something like that from Vince.

“He invited me to visit the orphanage later today, so we can prepare for our next match tomorrow,” Luminary says. “I’ll see if there’s anything I can find out while I’m there.”

“You’re going by yourself?” Erik asks. There’s an edge of _something_ in his voice, but Luminary can’t seem to identify it. He feels like he’s now treading on very thin ice, completely unsure of where the weak patches are that will cause him to sink below.

Luminary eyes Erik carefully, trying to figure out how he should respond considering that he doesn’t know what kind of reaction he will get in return. “Normally, I would probably expect at least a couple of you would want to come with me, but, considering that we’ll probably face off against most of you tomorrow, I wasn’t planning on bringing anyone.” He pauses to watch Erik’s reaction, slightly unnerved when he doesn’t really receive one.

Instead, Erik casually shrugs his shoulder in what is practically a dismissal. “Sure, but why don’t you at least take Veronica with you? It’s not like you’ll have to worry about fighting her.”

“While I _don’t enjoy his tone_ ,” Veronica hisses at Erik before collecting herself to talk to Luminary calmly, “he does have a point. We still don’t know who is making these abductions, and if Jade is skittish around Vince, it’s at least worth looking into a bit. Plus, Serena and I wouldn’t be very good guardians if we let you wander off on your own and something happens to you, now would we?”

“If it’ll put you all at ease, I’ll agree to babysitting Veronica while I go meet up with Vince so that she doesn’t cause any more trouble,” Luminary says, raising his hands in mock surrender. It has the desired effect by causing a tiny smirk to tick up on Erik’s lips.

“ _Oi!_ If anyone needs babysitting around here, it’s you, Mister Let’s-Waltz-Into-Potential-Danger-With-No-Backup!” Veronica fires back, huffing in frustration when she hears the rest of the group chuckling at her expense. “Yggdrasil’s blessing will only protect you so much, you know!” It takes a few moments for the laughter to die down, enough so Veronica is only left with a faint flush on her cheeks.

“In any case, we’ll let you two go so you can get back at a reasonable time.” Placing a hand on Luminary’s shoulder, Jade casually leans close enough so only he can hear her without drawing any attention from the rest of the group. “Erik and I are going to be doing our own research into the disappearances since we’ll be the least distracted by the tournament. Just… watch yourself, okay?”

Luminary hears the serious tone to her words and nods mutely. Squeezing the hand she has on his shoulder, he nudges her forehead with his own, hoping the simple gesture calms some of her nerves. “Of course, big sister. Plus, I’ll have the firecracker with me in case if something goes sideways. If anything, I’m more concerned about you and Erik being safe. Please don’t stash his body in any dark alleys if he starts to annoy you.”

“That entirely depends on him.” She nudges him back before pulling away. “We’ll see you two tonight back at the inn.”

With a final parting wave, Luminary and Veronica start descending the stairs deeper into Octagonia.

* * *

The Orphanage is in the furthest back corner of the city, seemingly tucked away from the rest of society. Considering it also contains the only church to the Goddess, Luminary is surprised it doesn’t have a more prominent spot in the city. Even so, the atmosphere inside is relaxing and warm as several children run around playing and laughing in almost every corner of the orphanage. Unsurprisingly, many of the children recognize Luminary on sight, though not as the Hero of Legend or even as the Prince of Dundrasil, but as Vince’s tournament partner.

It’s a strange feeling – playing second fiddle to someone else.

“You look rather pleased for someone who was just identified as a sidekick,” Veronica says, watching Luminary’s reaction closely. Honestly, he can’t argue with her. There’s something refreshing about being only tangentially famous for once instead of receiving the almost worshipful looks he can get from people who realize who he is, so he’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

He gives Veronica a shrug and a lopsided grin before calling over one of the children to them. “Do you happen to know where Vince is? He told me he wanted to meet up here.”

The little girl sways in her spot for a moment, eyes scrunched up tight as she tries to remember where she last saw Vince. “I think he’s ‘n the kitchen? He had some sweets he brought back but said we couldn’ eat ‘em all now. Kitchen’s this way.” Grabbing Luminary by the hand, the girl guides him and Veronica through the building until they come to a room that looks more like a generic pantry than an actual kitchen. The sole stove is shoved into the corner with pots and pans hanging around the space in order to make room for any stored food.

Standing next to a girl currently cooking at the stove is Vince, helping her with a recipe for tonight’s dinner. He turns to look at Luminary and Veronica when they enter, surprised to see the two of them waiting for him. “Partner! Give me a sec, and I’ll be right with you guys.” With one last quick tip to the young woman, he brushes his hands off on his pants and approaches the three at the door, leaning down to pat the young girl on the head. “Led my guests right to me, huh?”

“Yup!” The girl smiles widely up at Vince, revealing the holes formed by newly fallen out teeth and the dimples in her cheeks. “ _Now_ can I have that piece of candy, Uncle Vince?”

Reaching into his pocket, Vince pulls out a small, wrapped bit of candy and hands it to the girl. Giggling with delight, she quickly unwraps and pops it into her mouth before scampering away to enjoy her prize. As he watches her go, the expression on Vince’s face is purely fond, like a proud, older sibling. He eventually turns his attention back to Luminary and Veronica, who were patiently waiting through the exchange. “Sorry about the holdup – there’s always some kid around here who needs help with somethin’. Glad you could make it, though. Have you gotten a proper tour yet?”

When both Luminary and Veronica mention that they haven’t, Vince ends up showing them around the whole orphanage, introducing them to every kid along the way and explaining how they ended up here. Regardless of whether they were abandoned or lost their parents in an accident, all of them ended up under Vince’s care one way or another. Some of them were even the children a few of the missing MMA contestants, and they found comfort in the familiar with Vince also being a fighter.

“I grew up an orphan myself,” Vince explains as they make their way to the garden beneath the building. Though surrounded by manmade and natural mountain stone, one side of the room is completely open to the sky above, allowing plants of all kinds to thrive in this secreted away space. “So, I can understand what they’re going through. You would think we would get more donations than we do, but the only way we’re able to keep this place open is through my MMA winnin’s. Fortunately, between the prize money and sellin’ the prizes themselves, I’ve been able to keep this place open, but it’s really the luck of the draw in the MMA. S’why I lucked out with you, partner. With you backin’ me up, we’ll have a real chance against that tall chick and the blue-haired guy. Jade n’ Erik, I think their names were. You know ‘em, right?”

“They’re actually travelling with us,” Veronica says from across the room. She took to the garden immediately, walking among the plants and admiring their beauty while Vince and Luminary sit just outside the area. “Should come in handy since Luminary here knows them the best of all of us. He might be able to give you a few pointers on Jade’s fighting style.”

“She’s fast,” Luminary simply adds, and it pulls a laugh from Vince.

“I’ll say. Not exactly lookin’ forward to seein’ it first hand, but it might be unavoidable at this point.” For a moment, Vince’s expression becomes a bit somber and serious as he seriously considers what the outcome of that matchup might be. “Doesn’t matter how fast she is. I need to win for these kids.” His face clears up again, melting back into an easy smile as he turns his head to face Luminary. “Just means I’ll need any pointers you can give me. Speakin’ of which, we should start talkin’ about our strategy for the next fight…”

They, or more accurately Vince, ends up talking for the majority of the time they’re there, covering all sorts of topics once they’re done discussing strategy. If anything, Luminary guesses the man misses having conversations with people over the age of ten.

By the time there’s a sizeable lull in the conversation, the sun has long since set, allowing the moon to give the garden an almost ethereal glow. As though he just realizes how dark it’s gotten, Vince looks over at the moonlight pouring down from the sky. “Didn’t mean to keep you here for so long, but you’re a good guy to chat with, partner.”

“Of course,” Luminary says, the years of court etiquette dictating his response as he tries to not show how relieved he is for this visit to be coming to a close. Standing up to stretch his legs, Luminary turns toward his companion, who is still occupying herself in the garden, experimenting with various forms of magic. “Veronica, are you about ready to g-”

A sudden crash from upstairs cuts off his words, and all three of them pause to hear if any additional sounds will follow. After a few beats of silence, a sudden look of realization comes over Vince’s face. “That sound came from my room!” He jumps up from his seat and bolts up the stairs two at a time, rushing to his bedroom on the opposite side of the building.

Luminary and Veronica stay right on Vince’s heels, weapons drawn in case if they come across any intruders along the way. As they enter the living quarters of the orphanage, one of the children is crying in the hall, collapsed on his knees and shaking in fear.

While Vince and Luminary scan the hall for anyone that doesn’t belong, Veronica kneels by the boy and gently grab his hand. “You’re okay now. Are you hurt at all?”

The boy shakes his head and tries to talk around hiccupping gasps. “T-there was a loud b-bang in Uncle Vince’s room! I c-could hear people inside!”

Veronica gently hushes the boy, stroking his hair back from his face. “We’re here now, okay? If there’s anyone still in there, Uncle Vince and Luminary will catch them.” She turns her head to Luminary who’s watching the pair. “Boy’s just scared, but he’s fine. I’ll keep an eye on him; go with Vince.”

Vince and Luminary approach his bedroom door, shoulders tight and muscles wound up like a coiled spring. With a silent look of understanding between them, Vince looks back at the door before kicking it in, shattering the handle in the impact. The door swings open and slams against the wall, revealing an empty room.

With a fierce growl of frustration, Vince takes in the sight of his room. “They completely tossed my room! Who breaks into an orphanage?!”

‘Tossed’ is an understatement. The entire room looks like someone had been desperately searching for something, and by the pattern of destruction, Luminary could follow how the intruders moved through the room. From the bed, to the bookshelves, to the desk, every inch was disheveled in haphazard patterns, but the spot that looks the most disturbed is the desk area where shelves of vials of blue liquid were utterly destroyed. ‘The sound of the crash,’ Luminary surmised to himself.

While most of the vials were broken with their contents spilling over the floor, a few of them were still intact. Chances are, the intruders tried to break them all at the same time, knowing that breaking them individually would take too long and cause too much noise. Even so, Luminary has no idea what the vials contained since they look completely different from any of the usual tonics and potions found in most item shops.

Luminary never gets a chance to ask Vince any details about the destruction; instead, Vince turns to him with a terrible scowl on his face, looking absolutely in no mood for discussion. “Whoever did this might still be nearby. Especially with the recent disappearances, it’s too risky travellin’ this late at night, even if it is the two of you. Stay the night, just to be safe. We can deal with this tomorrow after the tournament.”

Veronica approaches them, her eyes widening at the sight of Vince’s room. “Whoever did this was serious…” Taking in Vince’s expression, she doesn’t bother pressing him for further details. “I agree that we should at least stay the night. The others will be worried if we don’t go back to the inn, but they’ll understand when we get a chance to talk to them tomorrow. Plus, the fact that I’m with you should prevent them from going on a manhunt and getting themselves kidnapped.”

Based on Veronica’s expression, she’s enjoying the prospect as much as Luminary is, especially considering how protective their companions can be; however, he can’t argue with the logic of the choice. The last thing he wants to do is put both himself and Veronica in reckless danger. “Sorry to impose on you like this, but we appreciate the offer.”

“Not imposin’ at all. We have a few spare beds. Won’t be as comfy as the inn, but it’ll be enough for the night.” Vince walks out the room, waiting for Veronica and Luminary to follow him. As soon as they’re out, he closes the door behind them. “Don’t want kids to get cut by broken glass. I’ll show you where you can crash.”

* * *

Even though there were no further incidents that night, both Luminary and Vince are on edge the next morning but for completely different reasons. Vince is easier to understand – anyone would be wound tight after having their home broken into, their personal possessions destroyed, and their family threatened and distraught. However, for the life of her, Veronica cannot wrap her mind around why Luminary is as affected by the break in as he is.

Granted, Luminary wouldn’t tell her, even if she asked.

He spent most of the night sleepless, wracking his brain over what he saw and tried to figure out why it kept itching at the back of his mind. It wasn’t until he was on the edge of sleep where the pieces of the puzzle started clicking into place – the methodical movement through the room, the sloppy execution as though committed by an amateur, the intentional destruction that would immediately draw attention and distract from anything missing, and finally, the window that was closed but clearly showed signs of a broken latch, indicating the point of entry and exit.

_Marks of The Wolf_.

Had he not spent months researching his MO, Luminary would have easily signed it off as a person with a grudge against Vince but aimless in their target. And if The Wolf was involved, there was no way his dearest _sister_ didn’t know. The boy in the hall mentioned he heard people. Plural.

It had to be Jade and Erik.

_But he couldn’t understand why_.

Of course, he knew about their suspicions, especially since they had both almost immediately marked Vince as an ‘other,’ someone clearly not to be trusted, but at no point did Luminary think they would go to this extent to prove it. The more the idea simmered in Luminary’s mind, the more it all fit into place and filled him with anger. At Jade for not trusting him to do what he said he would. At Erik for breaking his word.

By the time Vince comes to wake him up, Luminary is nearly livid. He had gotten some sleep, but what little he had was plagued by restless nightmares that faded from memory upon waking. As soon as he opens his eyes, the realization from the night before immediately comes flooding back in. The few times Veronica tries engaging him in conversation are short lived as his responses are reduced to wordless sounds and stony expressions.

She has never seen Luminary so quiet.

Not knowing what to say or how to comfort the prince, Veronica simply gives him a pat on the shoulder and a few words of encouragement when they reach the stadium. He doesn’t say anything in return, not that she expects him to. Instead, they part in silence with Luminary heading to the fighter’s waiting area and Veronica to the stands.

Their first match of the day is against a fighter named Golden Boy and his partner Sterling Sylva. Typically, Luminary would be thoroughly entertained by Sylvando’s theatrics and welcome his challenge with open arms, but today, he is too focused on the unavoidable confrontation that looms in the future. As soon as Sylvando squares off against Luminary, he can sense the difference, and his attitude immediately sobers up.

“Darling,” Sylvando says to Golden Boy as he readies his sword, his stance suited better to defense than offense, “I think we’re going to have a real fight on our hands. I hope you can take a few hits.”

As Luminary lowers himself into a battle stance of his own, he sees Vince pull one of the remaining vials from his room out of his pocket. When Vince notices Luminary’s inquisitive stare, Vince smiles back and uncorks the bottle. “Just a bit of a pre-fight ritual.” Downing the entire vial in one go, he lets the glass container fall from his hand and clatter against the floor. With a deep inhale, Vince readies his claws on his hands and grins tightly at their opponents. “Ready, partner? _Let’s smash some skulls!_ ”

Luminary knows Sylvando honestly wants to test his strength against The Luminary, and typically, he would love the challenge. However, with a battle against Jade and Erik in his sights, Luminary has no energy to spare on Sylvando’s duel. As soon as the referee announces the start of the match, Luminary charges in at Golden Boy, wanting to take out Sylvando’s support as quickly as possible.

He isn’t surprised when a familiar rapier blocks his blow. “Now, now, honey, don’t go completely ignoring me. Let me help you work out some of that tension.” With a practiced smile and a wink, Sylvando pushes Luminary back and signals to Golden Boy to focus on Vince. “I have no idea what put a bee in your lovely little bonnet, but we were all concerned when you and Ronnie never came home last night.” He lunges at Luminary, forcing the prince to make space between them, allowing Golden Boy room to escape. A series of precise stabs with his sword keeps Luminary on the move, effectively separating them from the other two fighters. It also allows them to have space to talk.

“We were fine,” Luminary grunts as he deflects another jab from Sylvando’s rapier with his shield. “You should have been more concerned with what our other friends were up to last night.” He tosses a bolt of lightning at Sylvando’s feet and clicks his tongue in annoyance as the jester mitigates the damage with his lightning resistant relic.

“Oh, I knew to come prepared,” Sylvando says through gritted teeth as the energy from the shock still ripples through him. He’s surprisingly quick to adjust, already back in his defensive stance before Luminary attacks again. “But our other friends? Then… Ah, but of course. I don’t know what they were up to nor when they came back, but it certainly explains their sour dispositions this morning. I just assumed it was because you hadn’t come back yet.”

Abandoning his shield, Luminary pulls out another sword and attacks Sylvando in rapid succession. He lands only one hit since Sylvando still has the mobility to dodge, but the single hit in the same spot where the lightning struck is enough to knock the jester off balance. He follows the attack with another series of strikes that forces the other man down to his knees. A knife being thrown at Luminary’s legs is what prevents him from delivering the finishing blow, instead forcing him to retreat back a few steps. It’s just enough to allow Sylvando time to get back on his feet.

They’re both panting from exertion, completely blocking out the screaming crowd and their partners to focus on fighting against each other. But a flash of blue catches Luminary’s attention, and he quickly darts his eyes over to Vince to see the man knocking back Golden Boy with a vicious blow. Calling upon his source of magic, Luminary lets loose a wave of fire that strikes at both Golden Boy and Sylvando. The sudden shift in attention and tactic catches Sylvando off guard, giving him only enough time to raise his arms to protect himself, while the flames knock Golden Boy out of the flight for good.

With a shark-like grin, Sylvando lowers his arms from his face and pats out the small patches of flame licking at his clothes. “Forgot you are almost as adept as our little Ronnie.” His expression grows more serious as he faces off against both men alone. Standing tall, he brings his rapier upright in front of his face before quickly slashing it down and to the side. Whether or not Vince recognizes the salute, Luminary isn’t sure, but he respects the gesture nonetheless.

The fight ends quickly after that.

“Team In- _Vince�_ -Ibles have done it again, ladies and gentlemen! They’re moving on to the semi-finals!” The crowd roars in triumph, chanting Vince’s name like a mantra that echoes throughout the stadium.

Raising a fist to the sky, Vince answers his fans with a steady grin, his mood lifting with his step closer to victory.

Luminary just stares into the crowd, muscles still tense and face expressionless. It doesn’t take him long to spot Veronica, with her ocean blue eyes staring back at him full of concern.

* * *

In the Semi-finals, Luminary is surprised to see Serena and her partner Whambelina. He knows that Serena is an excellent healer, but Whambelina didn’t seem as though she were built to take many hits. He quickly readjusts that assessment the first time she takes the full brunt of Vince’s strike and walks it off.

It’s a race to take Serena down as quickly as possible.

The fight lasts longer than the one with Golden Boy and Sylvando, but a large part of that is due to Serena’s ability to keep Whambelina standing. When the referee finally calls an end to the bout, Luminary leans down and helps Serena back to her feet.

She calmly dusts off her skirt and waves at her sister before turning her full attention to Luminary. “We really are relieved to see you two back perfectly safe, and I’m happy that if I had to lose, it was to you.” She lets out a soft giggle and covers her mouth. “At least Sylvando and I will have that in common.”

Luminary smiles for the first time that day, a soft, fragile thing that lifts some of the burden from his shoulders. “You did really well, and I’m sure Veronica is very proud.”

“It certainly was strange having to fight without her by my side, but I’m glad I was able to still prove myself.” They exit the stadium together talking quietly, and it’s the first time Luminary has felt anything close to normal all day.

When they reach the exit of the fighter waiting area, Serena pauses and turns to face Luminary. “I know it’s between Hendrik and Sinderella’s team and Jade and Erik’s right now, though I’m sure you have a good idea of who will win. Jade and Erik seemed… well, rather anxious this morning, and I noticed you’ve been in a fairly dark mood as well. Is everything alright?”

Luminary stays quiet, taking the time to collect his thoughts before answering her. Honestly, he doesn’t know what he’s truly feeling at the moment, so he doesn’t know what to tell her. However, he knows that her concern is genuine, and Serena has always been the calm breeze of the group during more tumultuous times. This is just the first time things have been rocky due to an internal conflict.

He can tell she’s growing more unnerved with his silence, so he tries to smile as best as possible, if only to calm her fears. “It’s just… something that I need to discuss with Erik and Jade, and I haven’t had a chance to clear the air with them yet.” He tries to add something else to say because he can clearly see the worry in her features, but his words abandon him.

Serena offers a soft smile in return and places a comforting hand on his arm. “I sure you’ll be able to work everything out. If not, then I’ll just lock you all in our room at the inn and not let you out until you do.” Even though her voice is teasing, Luminary can see the hint of seriousness in her eyes when she speaks. “In any case, I’ll be joining my sister and Sylvando in the stands. We’ll be rooting for you!” With an angelic grin and a wave, Serena drifts into the stands to join their fellow defeated companions.

He watches her go for a few moments before deciding to return to where Vince is resting for their final fight. Once filled with all the entrants in this tournament, the hall is now empty save for Vince and himself. Luminary finds the man sitting on the edge of one of the spare beds Octagonia has stationed for resting between fights. The champion glares down at his fist, teeth gritted in pain as he slowly opens and closes his hand several times, as though the muscles are refusing to obey him. He eventually grabs his forearm squeezing tightly for a moment before whatever is wrong with him passes, and all tension floods from his body. A few, shaky breaths escape from his lips before he finally regains complete control over himself.

Luminary politely knocks on the door frame to announce his presence.

Vince’s head snaps up in Luminary’s direction, body coiled like a snake ready to strike, but he immediately relaxes again when he realizes it’s just Luminary. “Didn’t hear you walk up.” Vince rises to his feet, stretching his arms back and forth to keep his muscles loose. “Are you ready for the final fight?”

“As ready as I can possibly get.” Luminary sits down on the bench opposite of the bed and gives Vince a one over. Nothing looks wrong with him, but he can’t entirely dismiss what he saw earlier. “Do you feel ready?” His words are causal, not wanting to let Vince know he had seen him.

“Always slightly nervous before the Finals, but I know we’ve got this in the bag. Just one more round, and we can claim our prize. Then I can focus on figuring out who broke into my place.”

Luminary’s breath hitches in his throat, but Vince doesn’t notice. Before he can say anything, Luminary needs to talk to the two to figure out why they broke into Vince’s place last night. He refuses to say anything before then. Even so, he’s not accustomed to keeping secrets like this, and it sends a pulse of guilt through him. He just hopes he’s making the right choice by staying silent for now.

For as much as Vince loved to talk before, they both stay fairly quiet now, listening to the rumble of the cheers above them. The fight is long, much longer than most of the other battles that have taken place during the tournament, though it’s most likely a result of Hendrik and Sinderella finally finding their stride and working as a cohesive against the two speedsters. When it finally ends, there’s a long pause of absolute silence before the walls start vibrating with the cheers from the crowds above.

“Looks like Limbs of Lightning has managed to take down Beauty and the Beast! But will they be able to take on the _In-Vince-Ibles_?! Find out after we let our semi-finalists catch their breaths!”

The crowds’ answer thunders through the stone walls, so Luminary can only imagine that it’s nothing short of deafening outside. Settling his eyes back on Vince, he gives the man a wry grin. “Looks like we were right. We’re facing off against Jade and Erik in the finals.”

* * *

Minutes before the final match while the announcer is riling up the audience, Luminary and Vince stand opposite of Jade and Erik. None of them have drawn their weapons yet, but there’s an odd tension in the air that doesn’t have anything to do with the upcoming bout. Vince especially notices the change in Luminary and the way his companions are staring back at him, stone-faced and silent. It’s completely different than the other times Luminary went against people he knew.

“You alright, partner?” Vince asks.

Luminary watches the way Erik’s face darkens at Vince’s words, and he doesn’t bother suppressing the spike of vindictiveness that runs through him. “Sure am, _partner_ ,” Luminary replies. He doesn’t bother to look back at Vince when he speaks, keeping his eyes locked on the thief. He sees Erik’s involuntary flinch at his answer. There’s only the slightest bit of guilt, but he bites the feeling down.

Vince pulls out another vial and downs it in one go, just like the last one. Shaking out his limbs, he takes in a deep breath before releasing it as a wordless shout. “Let’s do this!”

This is the only time that Erik and Jade’s eyes stray from Luminary and land solely on the former champion. Jade keeps her expression carefully neutral, though Luminary knows it’s to hide her displeasure from anyone who doesn’t know her well. “Did you see that?”

“Sure did,” Erik hisses out as he unsheathes his daggers, focus now entirely on Vince. There’s a predatory and protective glare in his eyes that Luminary has never seen on the thief before, but it’s an expression that matches the intensity of Jade’s aura.

She settles into a fighting stance that mirrors Erik’s, her claws at the ready. “Don’t underestimate his speed; he’s much faster than he looks, especially with that ‘pre-fight’ ritual he just took.”

“We need to take him down first as fast as possible, so we can handle the real threat.”

“Exactly.”

Vince’s eyebrows shoot up at that, unused to not being seen as the most dangerous opponent in the ring. “They think really highly of you, huh?” he says more to himself than Luminary. “Guess I lucked out a lot more than I thought.” He slides on his claws and stands in a more defensive posture than he’s shown so far in the tournament.

Only Luminary is left with his weapons holstered. He stares at Jade and Erik, fists clenched at his sides, his face utterly impassive. Slowly, he reaches across his body with both arms, gripping the hilts of his blades. “When this is over,” he says, as calm as the eye of a hurricane, his voice just loud enough to be heard by the four of them, “the three of us are going to have a very long discussion about what you’ve done.” Unsheathing both of his swords at the same time, Luminary stands with his guard wide open as he stares down at them, as though daring them to strike.

Both Erik and Jade look back at Luminary with open shock on their faces until a thought crosses Erik’s mind that causes him to curse. “Damnit, I forgot about Heliodor.” Clenching his knives tighter, Erik prepares himself for the inevitable. “Looks like we’re going to have to switch up our strategy, Princess. I’ll prevent him from using magic, and you take down the champ while I’m at it.” Under his breath so only Jade can hear, Erik whispers, “And you’re gonna have to hustle because he’s not going to be holding back.”

“I was hoping he wasn’t going to go easy on us, but not like this,” Jade says with a hint of remorse. “But he’s right – we’re going to need to have that talk.”

Seeing the way the contestants are nearly vibrating with tension, the referee riles up the crowd for the last time. “Looks like the finalists are itching and ready to go! Let this last battle of the Masked Martial Artist tournament… _Begin!_ ”

As soon as the word ‘begin’ finishes leaving the referee’s mouth, Erik and Jade spring from their positions, reaching their targets in less than the blink of an eye. However, Vince and Luminary are prepared for them, blocking their first attacks.

Unlike the other times Luminary fought against his companions during the tournament, no one tries to talk. It’s as though none of the air in their lungs can be wasted on words, forcing them to do all their talking through actions. It’s a stark contrast from the first time he fought Erik in the alleyway of Heliodor. Instead of the memory Luminary associates with the colors black, white, and blue, this is all various shades of red, purple, and silver. There are no teasing quips, no test strikes to see how quickly the other can adjust, just raw power and speed matching up against each other. In the light of day, Luminary finds himself not dazzled by Erik’s features for the first time.

The swipes of Erik’s blade have a deadly precision that Luminary never got to experience them first hand. Now that he’s on the receiving end, he appreciates that at least Erik isn’t aiming for any of his vital spots, not that it makes him any less dangerous. With both of his swords, Luminary blocks what he can’t dodge and uses his weight to put Erik on the defensive as much as possible. Any time he tries to create distance between them, Erik closes right back in, forcing them to fight with as little space to maneuver as possible.

Vince finds himself in a similar situation with Jade. Knowing Vince has a longer reach, especially with his claws, she uses her legs and speed to keep a reasonable distance between them where she can safely move in to land a solid kick before leaping out of range again. Jade does have the edge on the champ as far as agility, but he holds the upper hand on strength. He manages to land a solid punch to Jade’s stomach, and it completely knocks the breath out of her lungs, forcing her to stumble back to regain her bearings.

Clutching her stomach, Jade forces herself to inhale and blocks another punch aimed at her face. Once she’s able to breathe again, she drops to the ground and sweeps Vince’s legs from under him, stopping any momentum he gained from landing the hit. His back slams into the ground, forcing him to let out a loud grunt of pain. In the nick of time, he rolls to the side, narrowly avoiding her heel that comes crashing down before he scrambles back up to his feet.

The fight continues at a breakneck pace, both teams just barely able to hold the other at bay. The audience cheers in what seems like an endless stream, different names being chanted as the tides of battle continuously ebb and flow. 

The only ones who do not join in the ordeal were Luminary’s four companions who are forced to watch from the stands. Instead, they stand in terse silence, able to see the differences in Luminary, Jade, and Erik’s body language, knowing that whatever issue happened between the three of them isn’t close to being resolved.

Although the stalemate continues for a long time, something eventually gives. That something is Erik’s stamina that never fully replenished from the fight with Hendrik. A slash of his knife that curves a bit too far to the right is just enough for Luminary to parry the strike with the force to knock the blade out of Erik’s hand. Leaning back, Luminary kicks the thief in the chest, knocking him to the ground and pinning him down with boot on his sternum and his right sword at Erik’s throat. Dropping his other sword to the ground, he gathers lightning magic in hand with enough energy that the Mark of Yggdrasil starts to glow. “ _Vince!_ ”

Upon hearing his name, Vince shoves Jade away just in time to see the lightning spell strike past his face, landing directly in the middle of Jade’s back. She gasps in pain, the electricity coursing through her body with an intensity she wasn’t expecting, but it’s enough to cause her eyes to roll back as she collapses to the ground.

Erik’s eyes widen as he watches her fall, and with a slightly scared look, he turns his gaze back on Luminary, finding the prince looking back down on him with a penetrating stare. However, the anger and frustration are finally gone from his eyes. With a weary sigh, Erik gives Luminary and apologetic smirk before dropping his remaining blade and raising his hands beside his head in a sign of surrender.

“And with that, the match is over! Congratulations to our Masked Martial Arts Tournament winners – _The In-Vince-Ibles!_ ”

* * *

The award ceremony is held in the same ring as the fights soon after the final match. The officials wait until Jade is awake again, though they end up having to wait longer than expected when Serena rushes onto the ring and insists on healing all four of the fighters to her satisfaction.

Her fingers glow with healing magic as she looks over all of their wounds, relieved that they mostly are scrapes, shallow cuts, and bruises that are simple to treat. Though that doesn’t stop her from pinching Luminary in the side before she starts curing him. “When I said you all were going to work out your differences, I didn’t mean by beating the stuffing out of each other.” She glares up at him with cheeks puffed in anger. “You were putting a lot of force behind your swings. Erik could have gotten seriously hurt! And at least you pulled back at the last second when you cast Zap on Jade. Thank goodness she borrowed that lightning resistance charm from Sylvando.”

Serena’s scolding strikes deeper than it should, but it’s enough reset his mood back to normal. He scratches the back of his head and shifts his gaze down to the floor in shame. “I did go a bit overboard. I’m sorry for scaring you, Serena.”

“Don’t apologize to me – you should apologize to them! And I’m sure they’ll apologize for whatever they did, too.”

“We’ll have the talk you wanted after the ceremony, little brother,” Jade says as she approaches them with a hint of remorse in her tone. He can tell that she means it by her expression, and it loosens something in his chest. Then, she lowers her voice enough so only he can hear her. “And I’ll make sure we explain why we didn’t wait for your approval first.”

“Of course, after the ceremony,” Luminary agrees. “And I’m sorry for shocking you with lightning. I should have held back more.” He watches the way she blinks in surprise at his words, knowing that it’s not the apology itself she’s shocked by.

“I still can’t believe that was you _holding back_ , for the love of Yggdrasil. I almost pity the monsters we fight now.” It’s easy for them to reconcile as Luminary and Jade laugh to themselves, their bond back to its usual resilience. Luminary knows Jade never does anything without good reason, just as she knows that Luminary is willing to listen after venting his frustrations. They rely on that knowledge now. 

Before he moves back to Vince’s side, he looks over Jade’s shoulder to see Erik watching them, the man keeping his distance, though Luminary can’t tell if it’s out of fear or respect.

When he is back within the champion’s range, Vince starts happily chatting away at Luminary, as though they haven’t just fought three difficult battles practically back to back. After the previous night, Luminary learned to just politely nod along. “Absolutely amazin’! This was the most difficult tournament yet, and I couldn’t have done it without you, partner!” Smiling with pure joy, Vince takes in the sound of the crowd still cheering after his victory. “With this, I’ll have a decent amount of money to take care of the orphanage for a while. Speakin’ of, I heard the prize this year is some rare item called the ‘Rainbough.’ How about we sell the thing and split the money af-”

Luminary doesn’t have the chance to tell Vince that he has no intention of selling the Rainbough before Vince’s words abruptly stop. With his eyes narrowly slit open, Luminary can see pain written all over Vince’s features as he digs his nails into his chest right over his heart. “N-No…” Vince groan, crashing to his knees with a loud thud. “This can’t h-happen n-now…” He moans in anguish as his body thrashes with an uncontrolled spasm, causing him to pitch forward. He throws out his arms at the last second to prevent his face from smashing into the ground, but the pain running through his body causes them to quickly give out.

Silence reigns over Octagonia as their favorite son lies face down on the ring, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how late this update is! Between Covid, big projects at work, and finding out I'm pregnant, I've been exhausted and uninspired recently. Also, writing fight scenes is so hard. Mad props to people who do it well. 
> 
> I still have 3 more chapters after this that just need to be edited and posted, but I have no idea when I'll have them up. Regardless, thank you so much for still reading this! I hope it's been worth the wait.
> 
> Just as a warning - rating is probably going to go up next chapter, and unfortunately, not for the fun reasons.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've honestly been looking forward to uploading this chapter ever since I wrote it. Hopefully you all enjoy, because it is an emotional roller coaster.
> 
> CW: Nothing explicitly graphic, so I didn't need to change the rating, but there are mentions of dead bodies, murder, and cannibalism. Otherwise, it's just canon-typical violence.

After all the chaos in the stadium, the officials determine to postpone the award ceremony until after Vince is back on his feet. No one knows why he collapsed, and even when Serena had rushed to his side to look him over, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for his sudden onset of pain. A team of stadium staff ended up taking him to a nearby healer, hoping they would be able to assist with the problem or, at the very least, help wake Vince up.

Back at the inn, the Luminary and his companions decide to turn in for the night since almost all of them are various levels of battered and bruised from the tournament. Only Serena stays behind with Vince and the medical team in case if she could be of further assistance.

As soon as Luminary enters the room he’s sharing with Erik, he falls face first on the bed, groaning into the mattress. His whole body feels like lead from the stress of the day; putting aside the tournament itself, they still don’t have any new leads about the kidnapper, and now Vince is clearly ill with _something_ that might be becoming increasingly dangerous. Plus, there’s still Erik and Jade to deal with, a fact he’s reminded of as soon as he hears the door softly close behind him.

Turning his head on its side, he sees Erik leaning against the door, eyes watching him carefully. Neither of them knows where to start this conversation, and if Luminary is completely honest with himself, he doesn’t feel like having it right now. Burying his face back into the comforter, he lets his words become muffled almost beyond recognition. “Wiff tok tomarrah.”

“What was that?” Erik asks, sounding uncertain, like he’s trying to carefully navigate unfamiliar territory.

Luminary rolls his head back to the side so his mouth is facing Erik, though he keeps his eyes closed. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Too tired now. Need to be awake s’I know how much to yell at you.” His eyes slip halfway open, so he can judge Erik’s reaction, though his vision remains slightly blurry from exhaustion.

Erik stays completely still for a few moments before silently walking over to Luminary’s bed. It still amazes Luminary every time he witnesses how little noise Erik can make when he wants to. He’s not even sure if he wants to learn how Erik gained that skill. Even so, he’s gradually getting better at determining where the thief is, regardless of whether or not he can hear him. Standing before Luminary, Erik raises his hand, pausing it above Luminary’s head for a few, terribly long seconds before he changes his mind and drops his hand to his side again. Erik’s voice is soft, though he sounds defeated and resigned. “Sure. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Luminary frowns to himself as Erik moves across the room to his bed and lays down on the mattress, a sense of disappointment filling him, though he’s not entirely sure why. Regardless, he doesn’t want to fall asleep now and risk Erik withdrawing into himself again. Curling up on his side to face Erik, Luminary speaks quietly into the room as his eyes fall shut, “I still trust you… Just… don’t want you doubting that…”

He hears Erik mutter a reply, though he doesn’t process the words. Whatever they were, they don’t give him the sense of ease he hopes for.

* * *

For Luminary, the following morning starts with a bang when Hendrik slams the door open, his expression grave. “Princess Jade is missing.”

His words are a shock to the system, and Luminary bounds out of bed faster than he thought possible. “When did anyone last see her?”

“Serena said she heard her leave early this morning shortly after she came back, and when I went searching for her, I couldn’t find any trace of her in Octagonia. From the townspeople I was able to ask, the last anyone saw her was around the orphanage.”

Luminary curses under his breath, knowing exactly why she went back there. If she moved without talking to him like she said she was going to, then she most likely had a limited time frame to act in. Even so, she has a terrible habit of putting herself in unneeded danger. “Assemble the rest of the group. We’ll head out as soon as possible.”

Luminary rushes out of the room with Hendrik at his side. “The others are already outside waiting, though I didn’t have time to give them full details. Erik headed to the orphanage as soon as he heard she was gone.”

As soon as they exit the inn and meet up with the others, they don’t waste time talking over strategy. Knowing their destination, they immediately head for the orphanage, hoping that Erik will find some sort of clue by the time they get there. 

When they finish climbing the stairs to the orphanage, Erik stands waiting outside the doors for them. “I found something.” Leading them through the building, he takes the group down into the sunlit garden and shows them a door in the wall that wasn’t there before. It opens to a cave system dimly lit by a series of torches hanging on the wall. “All of the children have been instructed to stay away from the garden for the time being, so I don’t think any of them know this exists. Since the entrance is still open, whoever is in there hasn’t had a chance to leave yet, so let’s go.”

Luminary enters the cave with no hesitation, his mind entirely focused on finding Jade. He has faith that his sister is perfectly fine, but that doesn’t prevent his fist from tightening around the hilt of his blade. He doesn’t entertain the thought of anything other than finding her completely safe and unscathed. 

At first, the sound of their footsteps creates small echoes in the caves, but Luminary signals for Erik to take the lead. Nodding in understanding, Erik indicates that they need to move in a single file and shows them where to walk to create the least amount of noise possible. None of them speak the entire time they make their way through the tunnels, weaving down the lit path and pushing their way through giant spider webs. Typically, Veronica at the very least would be complaining about the size and density of the webs and the way they seem to cling to every potential fiber and exposed patch of skin, but even she stays eerily silent, moving through the filth with a grim determination.

They’re not nearly as quiet as the practiced thief, but it dramatically reduces the sounds they do make and allows them to hear the single set of heavy footsteps further into the caves.

As they approach a large, open cavern, Erik holds his hand up, bringing the group to a stop. In the distance, they can see several sacks hanging from the ceiling, tens of them in various sizes and states of decay. Thick cobwebs cover the area near the sacks on all sides, making the entire cave system feel more like a monster’s lair rather than simply unexplored caverns. Echoing throughout the cavern, they can hear that the steps gradually slow down before stopping altogether. The moment of silence lingers, and then a voice booms through the cave.

“Got a fresh one for ya!”

Luminary’s eyes widen in recognition, and he moves to Erik’s side to get a better look at the scene before them.

Beyond another vale of webs, Vince Vanquish stands with Jade passed out at his feet. Soon, they can hear the sound of several legs skittering against stone until a giant spider descends from the ceiling, its sharp fangs revealed in a toothy grin while it stares at Vince’s offering with a single gleaming eye. The monster inhales deeply and lets its exhale out as a chuckle while licking its lips.

“Truly… a magnifisssent offering… I can sssmell the life energy on her ssskin. Her ssstrength will be a great assset to me… and to you, my friend.” The spider touches down on the ground, looming high above Jade and Vince as it shows its full form in the light.

From behind him, Luminary hears a choked gasp leave Hendrik’s throat.

“Quick, give her to me! We need to drain her while she’s still fresssh!”

When Vince leans down to pick up Jade’s prone form, her leg swiftly kicks out, forcing him back. She leaps onto her feet and backs away from the two, glaring up at the demon. “So, this is what’s been going on. Seems like Hendrik missed a monster all those years ago when he cleared this city out.” Looking over Vince’s shoulder, Jade sees her companions waiting to rush in. “Looks like our hunch was right, Erik.”

They leave their hiding space and form a protective semi-circle around Jade, weapons drawn and ready to go. Luminary glares daggers at Vince and notices the slightly possessive nature in Erik’s body language as he takes his usual place at Luminary’s right. “Hope you don’t mind,” Erik says to Vince, his voice an easy drawl “but I took a look around your room the other day. Found a couple interesting things while I was there.” He pulls one of the vials from his pocket, spinning the glass container between his fingers.

Vince’s eyes slit open in recognition, his gaze flittering between Luminary and Erik. “It was _you_ …! So that’s why-” Vince turns his attention solely on Luminary, anger edging his voice. “If you knew, why didn’t you _say anything?!_ ”

“Because I trust them. Even if I didn’t agree and they did it without telling me, I trusted that they had their reasons.” His voice is like steel as his mind prepares to take on the demon and Vince. Unlike during the tournament, Luminary has no intention of holding back. 

“These little drinks of Vince’s? Looks like they’re byproducts of what’s left of the victims Vince kidnaps after this thing squeezes the life out of them.” Erik crushes the vial in his hand, ignoring the way the glass cuts into his palm. He glares at Vince with pure disgust in his eyes. “I figured you might be the kidnapper. Didn’t expect you to be a murderer and a cannibal, too.”

“You don’t understand! _I had no choice!_ ” Before Vince gets a chance to say anything else, a shriek from the monster reverberates throughout the cavern.

“ _You!_ ” The demon hisses in rage the moment it sees Hendrik and rears up on its hind legs. “How many yearsss have I plotted my revenge? _Hendrik_!” The spider looms over the knight, as though it’s trying to intimidate him with its sheer size. Yet Hendrik’s steely gaze shows no sign of fear as he glares back.

“Looks like I will need to steal your remaining eye and your life, monster.” Hendrik readies his sword and shield with Jade and Sylvando at his sides.

“Veronica!” Luminary calls out, drawing the mage’s attention, though his eyes never leave Vince’s form. “Help Hendrik, Jade, and Sylvando! They’ll need your magic to take that thing down. Erik and I will handle Vince. Serena, we’ll need you to support both groups. It’ll be tough, but I know you’ll be able to do it.”

“Right!” both twins say before rushing to assist.

The sounds of battle echo throughout the cavern as the two parties clash, yet Luminary can’t focus on Hendrik and the others right now. They need to stop Vince however they can. By the way Vince’s muscles are straining, Luminary can tell he recently had one of the vials, increasing both his strength and speed. He won’t be easy to take down; however, Vince is fighting alone against the two of _them_.

Now with his attention no longer divided, Luminary unsheathes his other sword, holding both in a tight grip. “You know we just can’t let you go, Vince. Not after all this.”

Vince pulls on his claws, face hard as stone and equally unyielding. “I won’t let down those kids.”

“ _Enough talk!_ ” Erik shouts with a growl in his voice, drawing both of his daggers. “Let’s end this.”

Even though, by the end of the tournament, Luminary had gotten used to fighting by Vince’s side, creating a solid rhythm that kept them fighting in sync, it wasn’t the same. Nothing is the same as fighting with his all and having Erik on his right, supporting him. After months of travelling and fighting as a unit, they know how to read each other’s movements, determine what attacks the other is going to use and how best to augment their strength. With Erik like the tip of a lance and Luminary as the power behind it, they pierce through Vince’s defenses, knocking him onto his back.

As the MMA fighter attempts to stand, he gasps in pain and falls back onto the ground, clutching his chest with a grimace. “N-Not again!” Vince struggles to control the pain, fighting to stay awake.

With a swift kick to the head, Erik knocks the man unconscious. “We can deal with him later. C’mon.” He rushes off to where the others are still fighting the demon, hearing Luminary only a couple paces behind him.

Right as they are about to join the fight, Jade’s words stop them. “We’ve got this!” She dodges one of the spider’s legs before doing a backflip and hitting the monster in the chin with her heel. “Focus on getting any survivors down!”

Luminary and Erik heed Jade’s words and immediately move to see if there’s anyone they can still save. The closer they get to the large spider sacks hanging from the ceiling, the more grotesque details they can see, each the size of an adult with a MMA mask tangled in the webbing. All of them drape over a larger web on the ground, some of the older ones in the back looking more like dried husks while the ones closer to the front seem more like freshly spun cocoons. Luminary tries his best to not linger on the dried ones.

Pulling out his boomerang, Erik flings it at the strands holding up the newest cocoons, knocking them down onto the webbing below. Grabbing one of Veronica’s spare whips in their equipment back, he uses it to pull the cocoons closer, allowing Luminary to slice them open while they both pray there’s still someone alive inside.

Golden Boy tumbles out of the first one, pale, gaunt, and damp, but still breathing. The next few sacks contain other members from this year’s tournament, all in various versions of Golden Boy’s condition, but at least they’re all still alive. Luminary focuses solely on pulling them out of the cocoons, laying them gently out on the ground, and healing whatever wounds he can. He hears the sounds of Erik cutting down the next round of the cocoons, but he can’t waste any time paying attention to what the thief finds. In the end, he doesn’t need to look. A few minutes later, he hears Erik by his side again. Erik says nothing about the status of the other cocoons, instead giving all of his attention to helping Luminary with the survivors they’ve already freed.

Without looking up, Luminary quietly says, “These five are the only ones, aren’t they.” It’s not a question, and based on Erik’s tense silence, Luminary doesn’t expect an answer.

Behind them, they hear a shrill cry from the spider before it gradually weakens to nothing. Silence envelopes the cave, the only sound breaking it being the labored breathing of their companions. Luminary looks up just in time to see the last of the spider’s body disappear in monsters’ characteristic purple cloud of smoke.

The rest of their companions head over to them, Serena rushing in front of the group when she sees the MMA fighters sprawled out on the ground. Kneeling beside Whambelina first, she checks her over for any injuries, taking note of her pallor coloring and choppy breaths. Serena closes her eyes and places her hands on Whambelina’s face, pouring enough healing magic in her to at least stabilize her breathing. “Are they all like this?” she says, her voice quiet and barely steady.

“These ones are, yes. They didn’t even stir when we moved them around,” Erik answers.

“And the others?” asks Jade, her tone revealing that she already knows and fears the answer. When Erik doesn’t respond right away, she looks to Luminary, who only gives her a sharp shake of his head.

No one else asks any more questions about the survivors after that.

Once the freed MMA fighters are finally stabilized, Veronica walks over to Vince’s prone body, nudging him with her foot. Seeing that he’s still breathing but not waking up, she calls over to Sylvando. “Get this one up. I want to hear what his pathetic excuse is for all of this.”

“You should know, Veronica – he did it for the orphanage. Getting strength from those… vials while limiting his competition and gaining money to keep this place running? It probably was too good of a bargain for him to refuse,” Luminary says, staring down at Vince all the while. He understands, especially after seeing the poor conditions of the orphanage and how many kids live there. By the Goddess, he _understands_ the temptation. Even so… “Octagonia doesn’t fall under Dundrasil or Heliodor’s jurisdiction. We’ll tie him up, take him to the mayor, and let him decide how Octagonia wants to handle all of this.”

“Are you kidding me? He’s Octagonia’s ‘Favorite Son!’ Do you really think they’re going to give him any sort of punishment he deserves?” Veronica asks, not bothering to hide her absolute disgust and building rage. “Need I remind you, he kidnapped and essentially murdered and ate people!”

“We’re not judge and executioner, Veronica,” Jade says, quietly supporting Luminary’s decision. She empathizes where the mage is coming from, but after being raised with politics and diplomacy practically in her blood, she knows it’s not nearly as simple as doling out punishment on the spot. “They won’t be able to just let him walk free, especially since he captured me, the Crown Princess of Heliodor. I can assure you of that. If needed, Luminary and I can use some of our royal lineage to add some weight behind our evidence, though we shouldn’t push it more than that. Vince _is_ the town hero _and_ the sole guardian of these children. We’ll have to consider the fallout.”

“We can figure all of this out later,” Luminary cuts in, not wanting to deal with all of the potential politics involved in this right now. He knows his tone is harsher than he typically uses with the rest of them, but the stress and reality of the situation swiftly frays his nerves. “What we need to focus on is getting these people out of here.”

From then on, they tie up Vince and get ready to carry him and the MMA survivors out of the cave. Before Luminary picks up the Underdigger, he looks up at the remaining cocoons, silently dangling from their webbing. He forces himself to not look over at the cocoons Erik already cut down and abandoned. As the others start heading out, he calls over Veronica, waiting until she’s the only one standing near him before speaking further. With his eyes still on the MMA fighters they couldn’t save, he whispers, “Burn it… Please.”

Veronica silently studies his face for a few seconds, seeing the shadows that are already growing under his eyes. Whatever she sees, Luminary isn’t bothering to hide, not after everything they’ve seen and what he asked her to do. Finally, she nods in understanding and looks up at the ceiling as well. Softly, she answers him. “I’ll stay to make sure it doesn’t spread.”

“Thank you.” Without another word, he picks up the Underdigger and follows the rest of their companions out of the caves and back into the orphanage. Behind them, he can hear Veronica cast her spell. He tries his best to not think about the heat of the flames against his skin.

* * *

It takes roughly a week for them to leave Octagonia following the tournament. After turning Vince over to the mayor, Jade, Hendrik, and Luminary spend the majority of the day with the mayor and the Masked Martial Arts officials. Due to the popularity of Vince and the sheer amount of business the MMA brings to the town, the meetings are withheld from the public as they decide how to handle the situation and announce the outcome. 

In an attempt to mitigate the scandal, the Masked Martial Arts Association decides to cancel the award ceremony and presents the first and second prizes to Luminary and Jade in a more private setting. When Luminary finally holds the Rainbough in his hands, it is a completely different feeling than he imagined. Instead of a sense of achievement and relief, all he feels is the weight of what it took to finally get it. At least for a long while, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to look at the branch from Yggdrasil without remembering this place and the events that occurred here. Regardless of how it happened, they won the Rainbough and the Yellow Orb, leaving four more orbs they need to recover. It is as good of an excuse as any to live the city as quickly as possible.

Before they leave, Luminary makes the suggestion of leaving all the prize money from the tournament and half of their personal funds as a donation to the orphanage. Everyone readily agrees.

As they finally leave the city, Sylvando pulls his mare up beside Luminary and lays a comforting hand on his shoulder. Until this point, they all had given Luminary his space, yet the prince still barely reacts to the sudden contact, only shifting his gaze in Sylvando’s direction. “Darling, I hate seeing you so quiet and depressed. I know this was not what we expected, but we do have the Rainbough now. Before we go sailing around the world searching for the remaining orbs, why don’t we take a little time off from our journey? Dundrasil is just south of here, _si_? I’m sure a visit to your Mama and Papa will bring that lovely smile back to your face.”

Before Luminary can think of a reason to object, Jade quickly cuts in, “Honestly, I think it’s a good idea. Resting aside, even though we know there isn’t an orb there, your parents might know where the Purple Orb of Zwaardsrust is. Plus, I think _you_ need a break, even it’s just a small one, and it’ll give all of us a chance to reset before we move on.”

“You can just say you miss them, too, you know,” Luminary says, sounding more like himself for the first time in days.

Jade lets out a small laugh and smiles fondly at her brother. “Of course, I miss them. I thought that went without saying.”

Luminary gives her half a smile in response. He did want to visit Dundrasil while they were here, and after everything that’s happened, he misses his father’s strength and his mother’s gentle demeanor more than he thought possible. Even during all his time in Angri-La, he never felt the intense ache in his chest for his family and his people like he does now. Luminary nods to himself before turning to look back at his companions.

They’re all watching him carefully, waiting for his answer, his decision on where they should head next. All seven of them have come to depend on each other so deeply on this journey, and Luminary can’t begin to imagine what it would be like without them. Deep down, he’s positive Erdwin had the same realization at one point during his travels.

“Normally, I would send a letter ahead, but I’m sure you want to avoid all the pomp and circumstance of a prince returning home,” Luminary says with a lopsided grin. “We head for Dundrasil.”

They depart from the fighting city in the mountains, leaving it behind like a bad memory. All of them look forward to a town of peace and spending a few days away from the harsh conditions of constantly travelling. 

All of them, that is, until Jade rides next to Erik and sends him a completely unapologetic smirk, which sends warning bells immediately ringing in Erik’s mind. Leaning over just enough so no one else can hear them, Jade stage whispers, “I hope you’re looking forward to meeting Luminary’s parents, you know, the _King_ and _Queen_ of Dundrasil. Just be yourself, and I’m sure they’ll love you… _future brother-in-law_.” Kicking her heels into steed, she rides ahead before he can respond to keep pace with Luminary, completely ignoring the way Erik sputters in indignation at her comment.

When she trots up next to him, Luminary looks over his shoulder and sees Erik with the reins gripped tight in his fists, his head bowed, and a dark flush working its way down his chest. Luminary slowly turns his head toward Jade, a completely blank yet put upon expression on his face. “What did you do to Erik.”

“I just asked if he was excited to see Dundrasil,” Jade says offhandedly, not bothering to look over at Luminary. Her eyes stay facing forward, and she makes a show of being focused on guiding her horse. “Though I’m sure you’re secretly excited to bring your boyfriend home to meet your family.” Before Luminary even has a chance to respond, Jade cuts him off. “Don’t bother lying to me – you’ve been interested in him since the moment you laid eyes on him, and now you two have been silently mooning and dancing around each other for months. Use this time to figure out what exactly it is you want.”

He knows she’s teasing him to keep his mind off of recent events, and it only slightly annoys him that it’s working. Instead of fighting a losing battle, Luminary keeps his denials to himself and concentrates on the road ahead.

* * *

Returning to Dundrasil is like a breath of fresh air. While not as picturesque as Cobblestone, the small city outside of Dundrasil’s castle is still charmingly quaint. It’s only about half the size of Heliodor, but it still bustles with people and commerce, the same as any large city. The one downside to being back in Dundrasil is that Luminary doesn’t blend in with the common folk nearly as well as he does everywhere else, but that’s only because everyone recognizes him on sight.

“Prince Luminary! Princess Jade! You’ve come home!” Upon seeing them, one of the local bakers rushes up to their horses, her face beaming with a bright smile at the prince. “We weren’t told you were vistin’ so soon, though I know the King n’ Queen’ll be mighty glad to see ye two. If you need anythin’ for yer journey, ye know we’ll be more than happy to help ye.”

“And you know I’ll still pay full price for everything, Miss Rebecca,” Luminary says smiling gently back, not surprised at all when she waves him off.

“I’ll be hearin’ nothin’ of it, but don’t let me go on n’ hold ye up. Just be sure to stop by n’ say ‘ello before ye leave again.” Rebecca gives a small curtsy as the group makes their way through town.

Their progress is slow in the going as nearly every villager who sees them comes up and greets Luminary personally, all of them overjoyed to see their prince and princess back at home. The whole process makes Erik, Serena, and Veronica stare at Jade and Luminary like they have six heads between them. “Please tell me you don’t seriously know every single person in Dundrasil by name,” Veronica says with a sense of dread and awe painting her words.

“Of course not,” Luminary says, with a far too cheeky grin. “I haven’t met any little ones that were born while I was gone.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s like they pulled you straight from a storybook. People like you aren’t supposed to be _real_.”

“I think it’s absolutely lovely,” Sylvando says as he waves to the people they pass by, soaking up the attention. “How could you not want to get to know each and every one?”

“Plus, if you think this is bad, you should have been here when he returned home from Angri-La after his training,” Jade adds. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen or eaten so much food in my life.” The celebration had lasted for nearly a week, and in the days afterwards, Jade and Luminary found themselves lying on Luminary’s floor, far too stuffed to move any more than they absolutely had to.

“Now I’m disappointed we didn’t tell them we were coming.” Serena pouts at the idea, already thinking about visiting Miss Rebecca’s bakery during their time here.

“Don’t worry, Serena, we’ll do plenty of pastry shopping while we’re here,” Veronica assures her, patting her twin on her back. It’s enough to lighten Serena’s mood again.

By the time they make their way the castle doors, word of their arrival has already preceded them. At the top of the stairs waiting for them are King Irwin and Queen Eleanor, faces alight with joy at the sight of their son. Jumping off his horse as soon as he sees them, Luminary ascends the stairs faster than propriety would typically allow, but no one seems to mind as his parents envelope him in a tight hug. He buries his face in his mother’s shoulder, finally letting the ache of missing her dissipate from his body.

Peering over his head, Queen Eleanor sees Jade calmly dismount her horse and start walking up the steps. With a soft chuckle, Eleanor reaches out to Jade and waves her forward. “Jade, dear, you know you don’t need to be so formal around us. Come here.”

With a warm smile, Jade races up the rest of the stairs and hugs her Dundrasil family just as tightly. The four of them stay locked in an embrace, enjoying this unexpected reunion.

Pulling away just enough to have a hand on Luminary and Jade’s shoulder, King Irwin looks over the two with pride in his eyes. “We heard from Carnelian that you finally set out on your journey. We honestly should have figured that Jade would be one of your fated companions, Luminary, especially considering how protective she is of you.” He looks down at the rest of the group, taking in the sight of his son’s travelling companions. “Sir Hendrik, a pleasure as always to have you here in our kingdom, and is that…? No, never mind. Come, all of you! We’ll have rooms and food prepared for you.”

“Staying in a castle again?” Veronica says as they make their way into the castle. “I think I’m getting spoiled by traveling with royalty.”

* * *

The only reason why the party _isn’t_ treated to a royal feast that afternoon is because Luminary emphatically and repeatedly stressed to his parents, ‘ _No Feast_.’ He still gets stomach pains when he thinks of the last one they threw in his honor; though, honestly, he doesn’t want the feast because he’s missed Marta’s, the royal chef’s, home cooking more than any fancy fare she could prepare.

After dining and being formally introduced to the king and queen, everyone’s vacation officially begins, and the group splits up and go their separate ways, finding little things to do throughout the kingdom. As excited as he is to be home for the time being, the thing Luminary wants to do most right now is sleep, which is how he finds himself huddled up in his room, lying in the center of the bed as he stares up at the ceiling. It’s only the middle of the afternoon, but he contemplates taking a long bath, changing into actual sleep clothes, and climbing into bed for the rest of the day.

The idea sounds better and better the longer he turns it over in his mind.

After becoming accustomed to doing things for himself, he feels almost embarrassed at the prospect of asking someone to draw a bath for him, especially since it’s relatively early in the day. Still, he forces himself to get up and stick his head outside of his room, sighing with relief when he sees a maid walk by. “Sorry to bother you…”

“Prince Luminary!” the girl gasps, quickly bowing to him. “My apologies! I didn’t see you. What can I do for you, Your Highness?”

“Emily, please,” Luminary sighs, though it’s not one of weariness. “You know you can just call me Luminary.”

“And _you_ know that wouldn’t be proper,” she fires back, poking out her tongue at him. “Now, what can I get for you?”

“A bath, please, if it isn’t too much trouble-”

“Shhh, none of that. S’no trouble at all. In fact, you’re not the only one who asked for a bath almost right away. Your cute, blue haired friend also wanted one.”

“Erik always did say a warm bath was a luxury for him. I don’t blame him at all for wanting one now.”

“And no one will blame you either. I’ll have some steaming hot water and your favorite soaps up to you in just a few.”

“Thank you, Emily.” With a wave and a wink, Emily disappears down the corridor.

By the time a couple of maids finish bringing him the hot water and his usual toiletries, Luminary knows coming to Dundrasil was the right decision. Once he has his room to himself again, he slips out of his travelling clothes, throwing them in a heap in the corner of his room to deal with later. He pours a few of the oils into the water and slips beneath the surface, hissing quietly as the water climbs up his skin. When he’s chest deep, he knows he’s finally found the answer to the mystery of life.

Hot water against sore muscles.

Luminary finally settles in the water when it comes up to his chin, allowing the ends of his hair to float in the bath next to his face. As light streams in through his open window, playing against the water’s surface, Luminary cannot help but compare how this differs drastically from the last time he had a steaming hot bath. In a small town instead of a large kingdom, under the moon and stars instead of the afternoon sun…

… with Erik instead of alone.

He tried keeping the memory of Erik in the hot springs far in the back of his mind, and with everything that has happened on their journey, it’s only been difficult when they fall asleep under the open night sky. Now, there are no more distractions, no more emergencies that require his immediate attention, just a few days of unscheduled leisure before their group heads back out to sea.

On top of that, Jade was right. Luminary does need to figure out what he wants. She always pushed for him to not let his status as The Luminary define him, but he’s always had the habit of putting his own wants and needs second to others. A servant to the people – both by destiny and by birthright.

And Erik smashed that notion to pieces as surely as he smashed that window in the Royal Sector of Heliodor. So long as he’s not reading into it wrong, this… _whatever_ he has with Erik is the first thing he’s truly wanted for himself that has nothing to do with being the Prince of Dundrasil or Yggdrasil’s Chosen.

The thief is the only one who has truly intrigued him and challenged him at every turn, managing to be a partner and foil all wrapped in one. Whether in battle or with wits, Erik matches him step for step, and it in turn drives him to push harder, to _be_ more. Even though he is a prince and The Luminary, the thief treats him as an equal, someone to be respected and trusted because he’s earned it and not because it’s expected.

Every time he discovers something new about Erik, he finds himself wanting to know more, whether it’s his past experiences, his mannerisms, his tastes. It takes effort to not spend time with only him as they travel just to scratch that itch, though he’s sure that everyone else in their group would acknowledge Erik as his favorite. They really do moon and dance around each other, don’t they?

Though Luminary can only speak for himself. He doesn’t pretend to know how Erik feels, especially with how he can act as though personal space is not a thing between them one moment and be completely closed off the next. The man probably has more secrets than he can name, more scars than he ever wants to share. Even with all their time together, he knows just as much about Erik’s past now as he did when he only knew him as The Wolf.

It’s almost maddening, having something so close but still distinctly at an arm’s length.

So, what _does_ he want? Luminary can travel the path he always has – ignore his own desires and live the life that has been planned for him since birth. He’ll have a quest, a crown, and then a bride. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be simple, a life he can settle into and be content with. But when he closes his eyes and thinks of what he wants, what he _wants_ …

All he sees are two brilliant blue irises staring back at him, mocking and daring and the only thing he’s truly ever desired to call his own.

* * *

While Luminary does end up taking a nap after his bath, he spends the evening with his mother in the parlor, both of them curled up with a book in front of the lit fireplace. Before he left for Angri-La, this is how they would often spend their evenings, with Eleanor reading to him by candlelight, and during the time between Angri-La and Heliodor, they would read silently together like they are now, simply enjoying each other’s company. He’s ached for these quiet moments together, and contentment seems to radiate off of him like a physical aura.

Regardless, Eleanor knows her son, and even though he’d been gone for less than a year, she notices the changes within him during that time. When Luminary is well and truly settled, Eleanor finally decides to breach the quiet. “Thank you for the letters, love. Your father and I enjoyed reading about some of your adventures and companions, and it was always nice to know that you were doing alright.” She pauses for a moment, as though she’s collecting her thoughts. When she continues, he recognizes the tone she uses – the one when she knows she might be poking at a delicate subject. She’ll leave him a way out, she always does, but he hears the forced casual nature behind her words. “Though, I noticed you haven’t really sent any the past month or so. Did you want to talk about what happened? We never did find out how the Signor Universo competition ended up.”

Sensing this is going to be a longer conversation that requires his undivided attention, Luminary marks the page of the book he’s reading and places it on the side table. He uses this time to reorganize himself, not sure how much he wants to relive the past events during this peaceful moment. However, his mother was always a fount of strength for him, offering poignant advice when he needed it most, even if it wasn’t something he wanted to hear. It’s why her opinion of him matters more so than others, and he’s not sure how it’ll change when she learns of the decisions he had to make.

He decides to ease into it, sticking to only answering the questions she directly asks. “Sir Hendrik won, actually. He took off his tunic and had the audience in the palm of his hand.”

“Oh my,” Eleanor says, covering her mouth in surprise. “Now I wish I was there to see it.”

“Just don’t let Dad hear you say that,” Luminary responds, the two of them chuckling to each other. “Considering the criteria of the competition, it was well earned.”

“I am sure you were just as wonderful, though I hope you kept all your clothes on. We can’t let the Prince of Dundrasil earning himself an unsavory reputation.” Her voice was pure teasing with both knowing that the previous king, Eleanor’s father King Robert, was known around Erdrea to be quite notorious.

“Don’t worry. I even put on additional clothes, so I wouldn’t be easily recognized.”

“My smart boy.”

From there, the words flow like water, and Luminary remembers how easy it is to talk to her. She listens, but doesn’t judge, asks questions, but knows when not to push, and trusts that he will share things with her when he’s ready. The rapport he has with Jade is almost as good, but it could never be the same. It’s only when he starts telling her about Octagonia, about the events after the first day of the tournament that his eyes grow distant and his voice quiet. Eleanor knows this is where the change occurred.

Reaching out a hand, she brushes the ever-present strands of hair away from his face and tucks them behind his ear. Were there a bit more curl in his hair, he would be the spitting image of her with all their soft features – soft hair, soft eyes, and a soft heart. “We heard rumors of what happened around the tournament but nothing definitive. Once we learned the nature of the rumors, we figured you would have gotten yourself involved if you were in Octagonia at the time.” Reaching out to cup the sides of Luminary’s face, she gently turns his head to face her, though she isn’t surprised to see his eyes staring down at his lap instead of her. “Whatever you experienced there, whatever judgement you had to make, I know it cannot have been easy. But you, my dear Luminary, have a wonderful and kind spirit. I know you did whatever you thought was best.”

Luminary shakes his head and looks up at his mother, his eyes glistening in the firelight. “I don’t doubt myself or my companions, that’s not-” He pauses to breathe, feeling a swell of emotion rising too quickly in his chest, threatening to spill over. With a long exhale, he tries again. “What we _did_ is not what affects me. It’s what we _saw_ below the orphanage that just… I know I was raised and trained to fight a dark force and protect humanity, and I don’t question it. I don’t deny what I have to do or why I’m the one that has to do it, but if there is a darkness greater than a man sacrificing and consuming the lives of others for power to protect what he loves, then I don’t know… I don’t know if I’m fully ready to face it. I will because I can, because I _have to_ , but I just don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Oh, love,” Eleanor whispers as she pulls Luminary into her, cradling his head against her neck. She feels his arms wrap around her, filled with strength because he has had no choice but to be strong. Around her, she allows him to be weak. “You are so much stronger than you think, but do not feel as though you need to carry these burdens alone. Even Erdwin needed Serenica, Durstan, and Morcant by his side to fight back the darkness. You will always have people around to support you, and if you ever need to – _run_. Run and live and prepare for when you need to fight again.”

Resting her head on top of Luminary’s, she strokes his hair with a steady and soothing rhythm. “Sometimes I wish you were born just a normal prince without this responsibility thrust upon you. However, if it had to be someone, I am glad it was you. Yggdrasil chose wisely.

“As for Octagonia, if even a fraction of the rumors is true, your father and I will reach out to the mayor and either relocate the children in the orphanage to Dundrasil or provide donations to them, so they are taken care of. This is a proposition we were already discussing when you arrived. You did not mention it, but I know that must have been a burden on your mind.”

“Thank you,” Luminary whispers, a sense of relief flowing through him.

“Always,” she whispers back. They stay like for several minutes, listening to the sounds of each other’s breathing and the fire crackling in front of them. This is the real rest Luminary needed that he didn’t get from his nap. Though it ends up being more short-lived than he would have liked. “So, my dear…”

He knows that tone. Luminary _knows that tone._ And it sends a chill creeping up his spine. Already, he can feel a flush overtaking his face that has nothing to do with the heat coming from the fireplace.

“When did you want to have dinner with the family and formally introduce your _friend_ Erik to us?”

“How do you even know about that?” Luminary asks, still hiding his face and the sheer mortification in his voice but failing miserably.

“We still have all of your letters, you know. While you’re here, you should reread them some time. The way you write about him makes you affection fairly clear.”

“And you don’t mind?”

“What would I mind?” Eleanor asks, tone slightly teasing if only to get her son riled up a bit more.

Luminary pulls back from her then, an incredulous look written all over his face. “The fact that he’s not royalty, or even a noble? That he’s a thief and a wanted criminal in Heliodor? That he’s a _he_?”

Seeing how worked up he’s getting, Eleanor chuckles and smiles warmly at her son to help ease some of the tension in him. “Your father wasn’t royalty or a noble when he asked your grandfather if he could marry me. He was simply the captain of my personal guard, but Father saw the good in him, and more importantly, that he honestly loved me. You should already know that his birth will not affect whether or not we approve of him. As for being a thief, he is currently helping to ‘save the world’ as it were, and I do not doubt Jade can get him a Royal Pardon, if he really needs it. And if you’re worried about an heir, you can always adopt. Erdwin bore no successors, and you were still born in Dundrasil, a city built in his honor. If there needs to be another Luminary after you, then Yggdrasil will bless the Dundrasil royal line again.” She strokes the side of his face, her smile nothing short of fond. “You have so much of your life chosen for you – why would your father and I object to the happiness you choose for yourself?”

Luminary stares at her wordlessly, blindsided but how readily accepting his parents are, especially after hearing the many horror stories from Jade about arranged marriage proposals and other obligations to the royal bloodline. “Oh.”

“Now, if Erik ever hurts you, _then_ we might need to throw him in the dungeon for a while to give him time to reflect on his life’s choices, but he seems like a smart, young man, so I don’t think it will come to that,” Eleanor says with a deceptively placid smile that lets Luminary know that she is completely serious about throwing Erik in the dungeon if it ever comes to that.

“I want to start courting him,” Luminary says, eyes full of determination and face completely flushed. His mother chuckles at the look of his face, though he knows she isn’t mocking him in the slightest.

“Well, I do not know how much time and opportunity you will have during your journey, but while you’re both here, let’s at least have that dinner and start from there, shall we?”

* * *

During the second day in Dundrasil, Luminary doesn’t see much of his companions, but by the way people in Dundrasil endlessly gossip, he certainly knows what they’re up to.

Jade spends most of her time with her second family, undoubtedly giving his parents a more personal recount of their adventures and how he’s being handling everything so far. Hendrik is giving a special training session to the palace guards that even off-duty soldiers are attending. Sylvando is making a name for himself as a street performer, drawing crowds large enough to impact the shops and restaurants in that area of the city. Veronica and Serena are dubbed unofficial food critics and taste testers at many of the local bakeries, and from what he’s heard, their approval of Rebecca’s pastries has caused her to sell out well before midday. As for Erik, he doesn’t do much to stand out, but he doesn’t need to when Luminary keeps hearing women comment on how attractive he is at nearly every turn.

At least they’re all behaving themselves.

Luminary eventually stumbles across Erik in the garden inside the castle, sitting on the rim of the fountain in the center. With his ankle propped against his knee, Erik flips through a book that’s situated in his lap, looking completely at home in the garden. It’s not the scene Luminary expects to see, specifically with Erik as the star of it, but it looks almost dreamlike with the way the beams of sunlight shine down on him, like any sudden movements would ruin it. It doesn’t help that he’s in his Corsair outfit again, making it seem all the more surreal. He watches the rings on Erik’s fingers glitter in the light, flashing different colors as he moves his hand to turn the page.

“If you’re waiting to read this, I can just give it to you when I’m done. There’s no need to stare.” Luminary’s eyes shoot up to Erik’s face, seeing the man grinning at him with a devilish smirk. “Unless if it’s not the book you want.”

Heat crawls up the sides of Luminary’s face, and Erik just barks out a laugh at the reaction. “I’m just kidding. You said we were going to relax for a few days, so I figured I’d poke through your library a bit. Your collection of star charts is pretty impressive.”

“We’ve had a lot of explorers come to visit and do trade with us,” Luminary explains as he approaches the thief, pausing to stand before him. Erik has to tilt his head almost all the way back to look up at him, and the sight causes something to restrict in Luminary’s throat. “Did you not want to read in the library?”

“Light is better out here, and it doesn’t have any of that musty, old-book smell. Plus, for being in the dead center of the castle, very few people actually bother me here, unlike in the town where I get mobbed in seconds. If I hear one more parent ask me to meet their daughter, I’ll drown myself in this fountain.”

“Please don’t ruin the fountain – it’s one of our favorite places in the castle.”

“I’ll remember that when I throw myself in it.”

“Thanks, partner.”

“No problem.”

Luminary laughs openly and sits down beside Erik. There’s only a hand’s width of space between them, but if the thief minds, he certainly doesn’t mention it. “If you need a disguise for when you go into town, just let me know. I’m sure I can whip up something for you.”

“Nah, I’ll survive for a few more days, though if we need to come back, I’ll probably take you up on that offer.” Closing the book with a snap, Erik lets it hang from his hand between his legs. “Nice home you got here. I’m surprised you’re not brushing up on your sword fighting or sitting in on meetings with the king.”

“Why would I?” Luminary asks, turning his head to look at the man next to him. “Those don’t exactly sound like restful activities.”

“Fair, so what does His Royal Highness, Prince Luminary of Dundrasil, do for fun on his days off?”

Luminary watches Erik for a few moments, taking in the way the thief looks in the sunlight. There seems no weight holding him down today, no shadows haunting his expressions and actions, just a carefree young man with the world as his personal oyster. Erik looks happy and _free_ , and the urge to bury his fingers in his spiky hair and pull him close until there’s no space between them causes Luminary to clench his fingers against the stone rim of the fountain.

“I can show you,” he eventually says, his voice lower and breathier than intended, but he can’t bring himself to feel embarrassed when he sees the way Erik’s pupils dilate, how his breath catches, and his focus narrows on Luminary’s lips. There is not enough air in the world right now to help Luminary breathe properly.

Whether Erik’s reaction is unconscious or not, Luminary will never know, but that doesn’t stop him from watching Erik subtly lick his upper lip. The thief then seems to catch himself, blinking rapidly for a few moments before putting a tiny bit of extra distance between them. “Sure, why not?” When Erik stands, the moment is officially gone, but there’s a charge that lingers in the air between them.

* * *

“I didn’t expect something you do for fun to be one of the things we do nearly every day,” Erik says as they ride their horses out of the stables. “Though this explains why you got first place in the Sand National.”

“That wasn’t even with my horse.” They ride through the city at a brisk pace, making much better time than they did when they first arrived to Dundrasil. Once they’re outside the city gates, Erik pulls his horse up beside Luminary’s with a suspicious look on his face.

“Alright, I’ll bite – Why did no one stop us on our way out?”

“Because they all know I’m going riding by the speed we used to leave. No one stops me to talk when I do.” He forces himself to not chuckle at Erik’s disbelieving look. “Now, are you ready?” Luminary asks with a wicked grin on his face.

Erik’s eyes narrow further, and he readjusts the way he sits in the saddle. “Ready for what…?”

“To see if you can keep up.” With the click of his tongue and a kick of his heels, Erik watches as Luminary and his horse speed off, somehow going even faster than he had back in Gallopolis.

Erik doesn’t give himself time to think before he snaps the reins and sends his horse into a full gallop, doing his best to catch up to the runaway prince.

They race like that across the fields of Dundrasil – the wind blowing through their hair as they travel through farm lands and open meadows, further and further from the city. Jumping over streams and darting through small patches of trees, Erik barely gets a chance to appreciate the natural beauty of the kingdom. His focus is entirely on keeping up with Luminary, and while he never passes him, he does manage to keep the other man within his sights. Honestly, Erik is amazed he’s able to keep up at all.

Luminary rides as though he was born to do it, letting his body become streamlined with his steed, the two of them moving as though they share one mind. Out here like this, he is truly in his element with the sound of hoof beats matching the racing of his heart. When he’s like this, it’s easy for his mind to clear, for his reactions to be instantaneous, and for everything in his life to slip away. To him, it feels like flying.

When the castle is barely visible in the distance, Luminary finally slows his horse down to a more respectable trot and guides them across a stone bridge. Following the river down, he takes them to a small cabin next to a waterfall. Here, they have complete privacy from the rest of the kingdom with a cliff-side on the right and the woods on the left. Had Luminary not intentionally taken them here, Erik would have never guessed a place like this existed so close to the city.

Luminary rides up to the cabin and hops off his horse. He pets the stud’s back before letting him graze freely in the clearing. Turning toward Erik, Luminary smiles at him warmly and seems more at ease than he has been in weeks. “You don’t have to stay on your horse, you know. We’ll be here for a bit.”

To Erik, Luminary looks nothing like the prince of a powerful nation in this setting. He seems like a quaint farm boy with sweat on his brow and dirt on his skin. A farm boy content to feed off the land and live a quiet, simple life. A life where he would never have to lift a sword to fight monsters or raise a scepter to rule a kingdom. He could just… be.

And for a moment, a dark feeling swirls in Erik’s stomach, furious that Luminary would never have that chance.

Before the emotion becomes clear on his face, Erik hops off his horse and ties the reins to a nearby tree. By the time he returns to Luminary’s side, he’s already buried the feeling deep again, knowing that it’s something that doesn’t belong here. Not with Luminary and this little slice of light.

“So,” Erik says, taking his time to look around the small clearing, “this your personal hiding spot?”

“A couple other people know about it,” Luminary replies. “I’m the only one who comes here, though. I found it one day while I was out riding Sapphire, my horse before Topaz. The cabin was abandoned but in decent condition, so Jade came out here with me once and helped clean it up. It’s where I like to come and be alone if I don’t want to be in the castle.” He walks over to the water’s edge and takes off his boots and socks. Rolling up his pant legs, he wades into river until he’s ankle deep and sits on the riverbank.

Erik walks up behind him, resting his hands on his hips as he looks over at the waterfall splashing down upon the rocks below the base. He can completely understand why Luminary would want to come here with its remote location and serene solitude. He can’t help but wonder if he’s one of the few Luminary has brought to his personal cabin, if he’s worthy of seeing such a private part of Luminary’s life. “You ever think about bringing a girl here? It’s a pretty ideal spot for it. Quiet, secluded, peaceful. Kinda romantic, if you think about it.” His words sound like he’s going for aloof but just slightly missing the mark.

Without turning back to look at him, Luminary picks up a small rock and tosses it into the water. “You’re the only person I’ve brought here just to visit.”

“Careful – words like that will make me think you’re trying to seduce me.” Erik’s voice is coy and teasing, but more importantly, it gives Luminary an out, a way for him to tease back and continue this unspoken and unbreachable distance between them. But when Luminary doesn’t answer right away, Erik stops breathing, his muscles gradually becoming more and more tense as the fight-or-flight instinct quickly builds within him.

When he does speak, his voice is soft but lacks any sense of hesitancy. “Would you stop me if I was?” Luminary asks, tilting his head back to see Erik standing above him, cerulean eyes wide with a myriad of emotions he can’t begin to name.

“What?” Erik manages to croak out. He desperately searches Luminary’s face for any hints of deception, any signs that he is even remotely joking just to get a rise out of him. Instead, all he sees are irises that are blue like a storm at sea, that seem like they can peer into his very core through all the shields and locks he’s put in place. Like he knows the ugliness Erik carries inside of him and still _wants_.

Luminary removes his feet from the water and stands up so they’re on more equal footing, the slope of the riverbank allowing them to be exactly eye to eye for once instead of Luminary slightly looming over him. “If I wanted to seduce you, to be with you, would you stop me?” 

Erik’s voice trembles on a whisper, and he hates how uncertain and weak he sounds. “You barely even know me…” 

“Then let me know you.” Luminary’s fingers slowly slide up Erik’s neck and weave into the hair at his nape, nails lightly scratching at the base of Erik’s scalp.

Luminary is the first one who has truly wanted to know him, who has ever bothered learn anything substantial at all and isn’t satisfied with only what little Erik’s able to give. Luminary is the one to bring a ray of light into darkness Erik brings with him, and each day, he believes the words of the Seer more and more – that he might find forgiveness by Luminary’s side.

But he is the only one Erik _absolutely_ cannot have. Not to keep, not to claim as his own, but maybe he can have him for now. For now might just have to be enough.

Letting his eyes drift shut, Erik leans forward and closes the distance between them.

The first brush of lips is a soft, quiet thing, as though they’re testing the waters, seeing if this is something both of them truly desire, but when neither pulls away, they move together as though it’s something they’ve done all along. Erik’s hands come up and cradle the sides of Luminary’s face, allowing him to feel rather than see the heat of the flush on Luminary’s skin. It’s not the frenzied passion Luminary has imaged when he’s alone. The kiss is slower, deeper, like an undertow that threatens to drag him so far below he’ll never see the surface again.

And Holy Yggdrasil, if this is what kissing Erik is like, he never wants to come up. Even in this, they match each other and fit together as though they were always intended to be part of one whole. A gentle swipe of his tongue on Erik’s lower lip, and the thief opens up to him, a ragged moan tearing free from his throat. Luminary swallows the sound, taking it for himself, not even wanting to share it with the air around them. Climbing further up the bank, they’re back to standing on equal ground, and Luminary relishes the fact that he has to tilt Erik’s head back just the slightest bit in order to keep them connected.

Pulling his mouth away, Erik trails his lips down the side of Luminary’s neck, nipping at the pulse that’s beating wildly under his skin. Each time Luminary pants for air, Erik feels the puff of breath on his ear, and it sends a thrill down his spine. He moves Luminary’s collar to the side and bites down on the tender area where his shoulder meets his neck, shuddering at the groan that leaves him. Even if it’ll fade, Erik still wants to leave his mark. Goddess, Erik wants to _ruin_ him.

Luminary fists his hands in Erik’s hair, pulling him back up for another heated kiss that will leave their mouths bruised and sensitive for hours. He wants to look in the mirror later and remember that this really happened, that it wasn’t just a fantasy concocted by his yearning mind. He pulls back just enough to rest his forehead against Erik’s, chuckling when the thief lets out a small whine of displeasure at him stopping.

He places a softer kiss on Erik’s lips then and gently caresses his cheek. When Erik opens his eyes to look back at him, Luminary swears they’re the most stunning shade of blue he’s ever seen, even when they’re mostly swallowed by the black of his pupils. “If we’re going to do this, I want to do it properly.” Luminary plants a gentle kiss on Erik’s nose, chuckling quietly when Erik wriggles it after.

“Personally, I thought that was extremely proper,” Erik says with a sly grin, his cheeks and lips flushed. “Though if there’s a more proper way to kiss, I am an avid learner.”

Rolling his eyes, Luminary softly headbutts Erik, causing the man to laugh at him. “You know what I mean… I want to properly court you. Granted, I don’t know how well that will work on the road, but I’ll think of something.”

“So that was part of your grand plan? Lure me out into an overwhelmingly scenic spot in the woods and ask me to be your boyfriend?”

“To be fair, none of this was planned, and I really just wanted to bring you here and show you this place. I figured you’d like it since you seemed to like our garden. Though I was going to ask you formally. Eventually.” Luminary blushes a light rose pink, and Erik doesn’t think he’s ever seen the prince look bashful before. “Honestly, the moment just felt right.”

“Ah, an opportunist, then. Not that I can blame you.” Erik leans back and studies Luminary’s face, committing as much of this moment to memory as he can. When he does speak again, his voice is much quieter than usual with just a hint of uncertainty. “But you can. Court me. If you really want to.”

“We can worry about any details later,” Luminary says before gently kissing Erik’s brow. “Let’s just enjoy this ‘scenic spot’ for the meantime.”

“Sure,” Erik whispers, vowing to himself that he will at least keep this moment pure. When the time comes that he finally has to let Luminary go, Erik selfishly wants to keep the memory of this moment buried deep in his core, to hold onto that one source of warmth when all he knows is the bitter cold.


End file.
